Circuit Verge

Tag: attacks

  • Research suggests that Venezuela is experiencing a significant surge in hacker attacks following the elections.

    Research suggests that Venezuela is experiencing a significant surge in hacker attacks following the elections.

    Venezuela’s recent presidential elections in July were marked by a disputed outcome, leading to the current president claiming victory and the opposition seeking international assistance. Amidst the street demonstrations, a significant conflict emerged in the digital realm, indicating a notable shift in Venezuela’s cyber landscape.

    Research indicates a rise in cyber attacks in Venezuela.

    ASERT NETSCOUT was among the first to notice a notable shift in Venezuela’s online landscape following the elections. Just one day after the vote on July 29, internet traffic to the country surged by 109 Gbps, marking a 16% rise from the day before. This abrupt uptick in traffic signaled that political unrest was manifesting in the digital realm.

    ASERT NETSCOUT observed a significant rise in DDoS attacks, which surged by ten times on July 29 amidst increased online traffic. This spike reflects a trend of utilizing such attacks for online protest or political activism, particularly targeting Venezuelan networks to disrupt them.

    Gráfico com os níveis de taques diários na Venezuela. Observe o volume do dia 29 de julho, um dia após a eleição. Imagem: ASERT/Reprodução
    Imagem: wal_172619/FreeImages

    Most DDoS attacks in Venezuela involve UDP reflection and amplification, with the majority utilizing DNS reflection/amplification. These attacks mainly target a specific telecommunications provider hosting online infrastructure for a political party claiming election victory.

    Variedade dos tipos de ataques na Venezuela. Imagem: ASERT/Reprooodução
    Imagem: TomasHa73/GettyImages

    The DDoS attacks that were witnessed did not involve large amounts of data, but their frequency and timing made them significantly disruptive. ASERT NETSCOUT emphasized the necessity of establishing strong DDoS defense systems to safeguard networks from such seemingly minor attacks that could lead to significant disruptions.

    Conclusion

    Internet traffic has risen sharply, leading to a surge in DDoS attacks. This shows that political conflicts now extend to digital security, highlighting the need for strong cyber protection measures, particularly during challenging times, to maintain online service stability.

  • Russia is warning of potential attacks on submarine cables that could disrupt the global internet.

    Russia is warning of potential attacks on submarine cables that could disrupt the global internet.

    The Center for International Strategic Studies report emphasized the potential risks to Western nations if Russia were to target internet undersea cables, following remarks by Dmitri Medvedev.

    Russia has the capability to launch attacks on undersea internet cables.

    Submarine cables handle 95% of worldwide internet communication, and in Russia, they are viewed as a “legitimate target” following findings implicating Western nations in the Nord Stream 2 explosion. This pipeline, which recently began operating, delivered gas to Germany and enabled gas export to other European Union nations. Dmitri Medvedev stated that if Western countries’ involvement in the Nord Stream 2 blast is confirmed, there would be no barriers to targeting underwater communications.

    The report, published at the end of August, indicates that submarine cables are the primary weak point for NATO nations. Should these cables be damaged, it would result in a significant disruption to the internet and global economy, impacting trade and military communications. Moreover, satellite internet services would also be affected as they rely on underwater cables for connectivity. Despite this vulnerability, experts suggest that Russia would not be severely impacted by an attack on these cables, as the country is developing its own internet infrastructure separate from the global network. Additionally, Russia’s connection with China is established through terrestrial cables, potentially enabling Russia to exploit this vulnerability to establish connections with other nations. While Russia has only issued threats at present, President Vladimir Putin has warned that NATO could become a legitimate target if it permits Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russian territory.