21.01.2025 – As expected, DDoS attacks have been launched against various Swiss websites in connection with the World Economic Forum (WEF). The pro-Russian hacktivist group “NoName057(16)” has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The DDoS attacks have so far not affected the WEF's operations. These attacks are aimed at attracting media attention and do not result in any data leakage.
With the start of the WEF, the first denial-of-service attacks on various Swiss organizations have begun. The aim of a DDoS attack is to overload websites and applications with targeted requests to such an extent that they are no longer accessible. No data leaks during a DDoS attack.
The NCSC expects further DDoS attacks during the WEF. They are a popular means for attackers to draw attention to themselves, but they rarely cause any damage. The NCSC has already warned the operators of critical infrastructures about such attacks and called on them to take appropriate measures. The federal administration is continuously adapting security measures to current circumstances. The NCSC also liaises closely with national and international partners and with the operators of critical infrastructures.
The «NoName057(16)» group was also behind the DDoS attacks in connection with the Summit on Peace in Ukraine. In November 2024, the NCSC published a report analyzing the Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS attacks) that occurred against Swiss organizations and authorities in the first two weeks of June 2023 (weeks 23 and 24). The application-level DDoS attack is explained in detail:
Note:
With such attacks on the availability of websites and services, the perpetrators usually want to attract media attention in order to spread their ideology. The NCSC asks journalists to bear this in mind when writing their articles, so that the attackers receive as little attention as possible.
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