Anonymous Sudan, a hacktivist group affiliated with Russia, has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on the London Internet Exchange (LINX), one of the world’s largest exchange points. LINX, based in London, serves as a mutually governed Internet exchange point, offering peering services and public policy representation to network operators in the UK and beyond. The group alleges that the cyberattack is a response to Britain’s support for Israel and its air attacks on Yemen. Additionally, Anonymous Sudan has issued a threat of a major cyberattack on the UK in the coming days.
The authenticity of the group’s claim is yet to be confirmed, as reports indicate that LINX’s website remained online despite the purported attack. The hacktivist group has a history of conducting large-scale Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, targeting entities with anti-Russian or anti-Muslim affiliations. Anonymous Sudan has been active in launching attacks almost weekly, targeting airlines, governments, banks, large enterprises, airports, and telecommunication companies. The recent claim against LINX underscores the group’s continuing efforts to use cyber operations as a form of protest and retaliation.
The geopolitical context includes recent air strikes by the UK and the USA against Houthi military targets in Yemen. The UK’s military action, which involved targeted strikes on 30 Houthi military sites, was approved by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as a response to Houthi attacks on international maritime vessels in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, US officials reportedly launched over 80 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and the action also involved 22 jets from the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier. Anonymous Sudan’s cyber activities align with its strategy of using cyberattacks to express dissent and opposition to specific geopolitical actions.
