Finnish Parliament Website Hacked, Russian Group Claim Responsibility

A cyberattack on Finland’s parliament website slowed the system down, leaving the website inaccessible on Tuesday. The parliament stated they were taking steps to limit the attack.

The Finnish parliament updated the people about the steps taken to curb the impact of the cyberattack. On Wednesday, the parliament tweeted that the website had resumed work. Coincidentally, the Finnish cyberattack was made the same day the U.S. signed their approval for Finland and Sweden’s admittance to NATO.

Following the cyberattack, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) launched an investigation and found that dozens of IP addresses from around the world were a part of the Finnish cyberattack. The website of the Finnish Parliament slowed down because of the denial-of-service (DoS) attack that started in Russia.

A Russian hacking group, ‘NoName057(16)’, claimed responsibility for the cyber-attack on their Telegram channel. “We decided to make a ‘friendly’ visit to neighboring Finland, whose authorities are so eager to join NATO,” the group said on the channel.

The attacks surfaced months after the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO) expressed concerns over Russia’s will to influence Finland’s NATO application process. Moreover, Antti Pelttari, the director of SUPO, had predicted an “increased number” of cyberattacks.

Meanwhile, the president of the USA, Joe Biden praised Finland and Sweden for joining the NATO alliance on Tuesday, a report stated. “In seeking to join NATO, Finland and Sweden are making a sacred commitment that an attack against one is an attack against all,” Biden said as he signed the instruments of ratification for U.S.’s formal support of the defense pact. He also urged the other members of NATO to complete their ratification process.

Sweden and Finland applied to NATO in May. NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance that guarantees the freedom and security of its members. It has 30 member countries, of which two are located in North America.