The website mennyiterek.sk, operated by Pro Civis, a minority advocacy group supporting the Hungarian minority, faced an online attack on Tuesday night. The attack employed a DDoS technique in an attempt to render the website inaccessible.
Péter Őry, the association’s president, revealed that the goal of the attack was to disrupt access to information exposing the undemocratic character of the Slovakian settlement-support system, which unfairly discriminates against the Hungarian community.
DDoS attacks, like the one used, aim to overload systems to hinder user access, often resulting in slowdowns or crashes. The attack came to light after a visitor to mennyiterek.sk notified Pro Civis staff, leading to swift action by the association’s IT specialist.
This incident occurred following the Alliance (Szövettség), a political party representing Hungarians in Slovakia, sharing a study conducted by Pro Civis. The study highlighted the economic challenges faced by Hungarian municipalities due to geographic height quotas, impacting state tax revenue distribution.
While the website’s owners managed to restore access by Wednesday morning, concerns persist regarding the motives behind the attack. The incident sheds light on the broader context of advocating for minority rights and sharing information about discriminatory policies, even as digital threats loom.