NoName Returns to Moldova after Germany
The pro-Russian gang NoName announced 2 massive DDoS operations, one day apart. The first one was against Germany, where they managed to breach 5 targets. The last one is against Moldova with 6 targets.
- The news about NoName’s attacks appeared in the local news, despite these types of events becoming a norm over the past year
- NoName is a pro-Russian cybercriminal entity with deep interests in protecting the Russian regime and pushing its politics and agenda
- The organization has been active since February 2022, when the Ruso-Ukrainian war began
- Some of the Moldovan targets that the hackers chose include the State Registry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs
NoName prioritizes DDoS attacks as means to impact their targets because these types of operations are cheap and effective. They may not inflict a lot of damage, as the target website is usually off the grid for a short time, but they’re good at sending a message.
NoName’s goal is to push its agenda and scare off Ukraine’s allies. It’s even better if they can get to impact their actual financial, political, and economic status. Moldova has been NoName’s target for a long time due to the support they’ve shown to Ukraine.
The country has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since the beginning and has reinforced its anti-Russian stance several times since then. Moldova applied for the EU membership on March 3rd, which was only days after the beginning of Russia’s “special military operation.”
Subsequent incidents between Moldova and Russia have also kept the fire between the 2 nations going. Moldova banned 6 pro-Russian TV channels to “prevent the population from disinformation and propaganda.” Putin also made explicit threats toward the country.
Then we have the fact that Russia violated Moldova’s airspace when one rocket flew across the border. Several other incidents involved drone or rocket parts crashing on Moldovan soil after the equipment was taken down by Ukraine’s defensive systems.
All these events added fuel to the fire between the 2 nations. NoName was there to capitalize on it.
What Do We Know About NoName?
It’s no secret that NoName harbors pro-Russian sentiments. That’s their entire identity. Aside from that, though, not much is known about the group. The organization is obviously well-funded and supported, as it managed to remain highly active for more than 2 years.
As it stands, NoName is the most active and engaged cybercriminal gang with DDoS attacks taking place daily. The group often targets multiple institutions, sometimes across several countries at the same time. The hackers achieve this in several ways.
One of them is by relying on affiliates to do some of the heavy lifting for them. This provides the gang with flexibility and increased reach. Another is by collaborating with other high-profile pro-Russian cybercriminal gangs.
These types of partnerships have always resulted in high-profile breaches against world-class institutions. It’s important to note that NoName targets state-owned institutions primarily. They want to make the most impact, so they’ll go for the most influential targets.
But they’ve also targeted private corporations. The only requirement is for their target to support Ukraine’s efforts in the ongoing war. Extra points if the said support comes in the form of military or humanitarian packages, not just words.
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