NoName Takes a Trip to Spain Again
NoName’s Spanish incursion continues, as the infamous cybercriminal gang just announced another massive operation. At least 8 websites have been reportedly hit in this latest attack, including the Parliament of Galicia and the Valencian Courts.
- The targets are all governmental institutions, which is part of NoName’s typical MO
- The pro-Russian gang has been conducting numerous targeted operations in Spain over the past week
- NoName’s pro-Russian sentiments are well-known and explain the group’s aggression against pro-Ukrainian governments and institutions
- The hackers posted the evidence of the attack on their public platform, threatening the Spanish government that they would keep going
This recent hit is part of NoName’s overarching plan of weakening Ukraine and its allies in the face of Russian aggression. The gang has been using DDoS attacks as the primary tool, as it’s cheap, easy to use, and gets the job done.
Spanish officials haven’t commented on the situation yet, but it’s to be expected. NoName attacks are fairly common, not particularly damaging, and they don’t want to give the hackers the advertisement they want.
Prior to becoming so invested in Spain, NoName had attacked multiple other targets across the globe. Many of them were breached multiple times, sometimes daily for up to 2 weeks or even more. But what exactly drives NoName?
As the hackers themselves have stated, their purpose is to break the will of those opposing the Russian regime. To that end, the gang uses every tool in the box, including DDoS floods, propaganda, disinformation, threats, intimidation, and so on.
What Makes NoName so Feared?
On the surface, NoName doesn’t appear any different than any other standard cybercriminal gang. But appearances couldn’t be anymore deceiving. NoName is currently the most intimidating and dangerous cyber-actor for several reasons.
These include:
- The high level of activity, allows the hackers to work 24/7
- Targeting up to 15 potential victims per day
- Using the latest tools to breach their victims with surgical precision
- Joining forces with other pro-Russian gangs for improved effectiveness
- The almost fanatical pro-Russian allegiance
- The perceived power and funding allowing the gang to operate with impunity
These features explain not only why NoName is so feared and intimidating, but why it can operate seemingly unbothered. The long arm of law enforcement doesn’t seem to be able to reach the NoName hackers. And there are some theories as to why.
The most prevalent one is that NoName is actually funded by the Russian government itself. Some have pointed at the group’s disinterest in profit-making and its heavy pro-Russian stance as evidence of that.
To operate at the level that NoName does without ever looking to make a profit is suspicious, to say the least. That being said, nothing has been confirmed yet. And NoName also relies on affiliates a lot, which can explain why funding isn’t necessarily an issue.
As to whether NoName is actually funded by the Russian government or not, that’s the least of anyone’s problems. The biggest problem remains the organization itself and its determination to silence those who oppose the Kremlin regime.
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