A pro-Russian hacker group has claimed responsibility for the cyber attack that blocked French mail. The investigation was taken over by French counterintelligence
French Post Photo: Emma Da Silva / AP / Profimedia
The pro-Russian hacker group Noname057(16) claimed responsibility for an attack that disrupted the French national postal service during the Christmas period, French prosecutors announced, reports Euronews, taken over by News.ro.
The General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) took over the investigation following the claim of the attack, the Paris Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday, on Christmas Eve. The central computer systems of the French Post Office were taken out of service on Monday by a denial of service (ddos) attack, and the problem was not resolved.
The postmen could not ensure parcel deliveries, and online payments through La Banque Postale were interrupted. The attack took place during the busiest season of the Post Office, which has over 200,000 employees.
A group known in the West
Noname057(16) has already targeted Ukrainian media websites, government websites of some enterprises in Poland, Sweden and Germany.
He was targeted in Operation Eastwood, a coordinated international police operation that took place in July and involved authorities from 12 countries. As part of this operation, the police destroyed more than 100 servers worldwide, made two arrests – in France and Spain – and issued seven arrest warrants – six in the name of Russian citizens.
But the group resumed its activities after a few days and remained active. It attacked websites of the French Government – including the Ministry of Justice – and several prefectures and cities.
This disruption comes days after the French government announced it was the target of a cyber attack targeting the Interior Ministry. During this attack, an alleged hacker extracted dozens of sensitive documents and had access to information about police files and wanted persons, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on the Franceinfo television channel.
Last week, prosecutors announced that the French counterintelligence agency was investigating an alleged attack involving software that would have allowed remote control of the computer systems of an international passenger ferry. A Latvian crew member was detained on suspicion of acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign power, French officials said.
Laurent Nuñez indicated Russian involvement. “The foreign mix comes from the same country,” he charged, but the attack was not officially attributed to Russia.
France and other European allies of Ukraine accuse Russia of waging a campaign of “hybrid warfare” through sabotage, assassinations, cyber attacks and disinformation aimed at sowing discord in Western societies and undermining support for Kiev.
Regarding sabotage, dozens of incidents have been recorded in Europe since Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022: arson of warehouses, sabotage of railways and acts of vandalism.
