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International Operation Disables Pro-Russian Hackers
Law enforcement agencies from twelve countries have successfully dismantled over 100 servers operated by the pro-Russian cybercrime group NoName057(16). The three-day operation, codenamed Eastwood, targeted infrastructure used for disruptive DDoS attacks against nations supporting Ukraine.
Coordinated Takedown
Europol and Eurojust coordinated the global action involving Dutch authorities and experts from eleven other nations. During the operation, police arrested two suspects, conducted more than twenty house searches, and issued seven arrest warrants - including for two alleged architects of the group's operations based in Russia.
Wanted Hackers Named
Europol has publicly identified five Russian nationals linked to the group, publishing their names and photographs on its official website. The suspects are wanted for orchestrating attacks against critical infrastructure in NATO countries.
History of Disruptions
NoName057(16) gained notoriety for attacks on Dutch ports in 2023, Belgian infrastructure in 2024, and over fifty Dutch websites during a single week this year. The group also attempted to disrupt websites during the recent NATO summit in The Hague.
DDoS Attack Methodology
The group specializes in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, flooding target websites with artificial traffic to make them inaccessible. Unlike hacking operations, these attacks don't involve data breaches but cause significant service disruption.
Group Profile and Motivations
Active since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the group consists mainly of Russian-speaking sympathizers using automated tools. Europol notes they lack advanced technical skills or centralized leadership, operating instead through ideological motivation and financial incentives.
Authorities have sent warning notices to over 1,000 individuals suspected of supporting the group's activities.
