The recent cyberattacks on various French national institutions by an alleged “pro-Russian” hacktivist group, Anonymous Sudan, have caught the attention of the French intelligence agency.
The group initiated its campaign against France on March 15, 2023, targeting several French airports, healthcare, and university institutions in the subsequent days.
While the attacks caused little harm, they intended to overload the system by flooding it with website traffic. These attacks may be mainly symbolic, but they have prompted the justice system and the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) to investigate the matter.
Anonymous Sudan strikes again
The claims made by Anonymous Sudan are concerning, especially in the wake of numerous terrorist attacks that have occurred in France over the past decade.
The group asserts that their operations target the country due to the cartoons of Muhammad, and their campaign is connected to the Charlie Hebdo cartoons from 2015.
However, these attacks may also be linked to France’s support of Ukraine, which Anonymous Sudan opposes. The group is directly affiliated with the primary Russian hacktivist collective, Killnet, which the Russian government backs.
In reference to France’s assistance to Ukraine, the group says, “I am not concerned with support for Ukraine. In the event of an attack by Killnet, I will immediately collaborate with them to assist them.”
Despite claiming to have stolen sensitive information from Air France’s campaign, the airline’s press office has stated that no significant activity has been detected that could have jeopardized their data.
