The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a government organization in the United States, recently became the target of a cyber attack by the hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan. According to Falcon Feeds, a threat intelligence service, the official website of NIST was inaccessible following the attack. However, The Cyber Express team has verified that the website is currently accessible and functioning properly.
Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for the cyber attack on NIST, stating that it lasted for an hour. The group is known for launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which disrupt and halt services for a few hours. NIST, headquartered in Maryland, focuses on innovation and industrial development as an agency of the United States Department of Commerce.
There have been speculations about the authenticity of Anonymous Sudan’s hacktivism, with some researchers suggesting that the group aligns with the Russian agenda. It is believed that the group has financial backing, enabling them to carry out sophisticated attacks. In recent times, they have targeted various US organizations, including Microsoft 365 and PayPal. Anonymous Sudan had also threatened to target US financial institutions.
According to Falcon Feeds, the motivation behind the threat to the US was to denounce the West’s financial and military support to Ukraine. However, it is speculated that the hackers misunderstood statements made by the US Secretary of State regarding the crisis in Sudan. The hackers mistook discussions about condemning leaders perpetuating violence in Sudan as plans for an invasion directed towards the country.
On May 5, Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs reported increased cyber activity against US healthcare. Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for launching DDoS attacks on US healthcare providers and a mobility service provider. The group also targeted Microsoft, announcing the cyber attack on Telegram with screenshots of affected products. They further claimed to have stolen over 30 million customer data from the Microsoft attack.
The impact of these attacks by Anonymous Sudan is concerning. Cyble suggests that their application layer DDoS attacks, which target user-facing applications and networks, can go undetected by traditional defense systems. Such attacks disrupt services and pose a threat to the security of organizations and individuals.
It is important to note that the information provided in this report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. Users are responsible for their reliance on this information, and The Cyber Express assumes no liability for its accuracy or consequences.
In conclusion, the cyber attack on the National Institute of Standards and Technology by Anonymous Sudan highlights the ongoing risks and challenges posed by hacktivist groups. It underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard organizations and individuals from such threats.