In the lead-up to the highly anticipated 2023 NFL Kickoff, a hacktivist group called Anonymous Sudan has claimed responsibility for a cyber attack on ESPN, a prominent American international basic cable sports channel. Although the cyber attack has not been confirmed and the ESPN website continues to function, the possibility of such an attack raises concerns, especially with the start of the football season just around the corner.
Anonymous Sudan released a screenshot as evidence of their alleged ESPN cyber attack, specifically targeting the official website of the renowned sports and entertainment company. The screenshot displayed a total of 513 reports on the ESPN website within the past 24 hours, presumably due to the reported outage. Threat Intelligence researchers from Cyber Know tweeted the screenshot from Anonymous Sudan’s dark web portal, acknowledging the potential impact on ESPN, especially considering the proximity to the NFL Kickoff.
The message posted by Anonymous Sudan on the dark web read, “ESPN Down,” indicating their alleged involvement in the cyber attack. However, the authenticity of their claim remains unconfirmed. In response to the incident, The Cyber Express reached out to ESPN officials for verification and clarification but has yet to receive a response. The article will be updated once a statement is received.
This is not the first time Anonymous Sudan has targeted high-profile entities. Previously known as Twitter, the group recently caused a downtime on the platform through a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. The attack involved flooding Twitter’s servers with a massive volume of traffic, rendering the platform inaccessible. Anonymous Sudan expressed their intentions to make their message reach Elon Musk, urging him to open Starlink in Sudan. The group aims to showcase the skills of Sudanese people, especially in the face of limited resources.
Other targets of the hacktivist group include the French postal service La Poste and the fan fiction website Archive of Our Own (AO3). La Poste experienced disruptions on its website for a few hours, with the hackers claiming responsibility for a DDoS attack. The attack was allegedly aimed at ruining the day of the French President Emmanuel Macron. AO3, on the other hand, faced two cyber attacks from Anonymous Sudan, with the group expressing its opposition to the content hosted on the website.
In their overall mission, Anonymous Sudan aims to raise awareness about the Sudanese people’s struggles due to the ongoing civil war and the impact it has had on internet connectivity. They have threatened to launch cyber attacks on organizations in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, following their test attack on PayPal.
As the investigation into the alleged ESPN cyber attack continues, it is crucial for organizations to remain vigilant against potential cyber threats. With cyber attacks becoming increasingly common and sophisticated, it is imperative to prioritize cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and maintain the smooth operation of online platforms.
(Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.)