On Tuesday, October 3, 2024, a hacker group claimed responsibility for attacks on several high-profile Brazilian institutions, including the Supreme Federal Court (STF), the Federal Police, Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency), and the Barci de Moraes law firm, which is linked to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The attacks, believed to be a form of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), involved flooding the targeted websites with thousands of simultaneous access attempts to destabilize their systems. The hackers reportedly initiated these cyberattacks in retaliation for Justice Moraes’ decision to block X after the platform allegedly defied judicial orders.
Among the impacted organizations, the Barci de Moraes law firm’s website faced significant disruptions. The law firm’s online platform was rendered inaccessible for approximately three hours on the afternoon of October 3. This interruption was part of a broader wave of cyberattacks that targeted the firm’s web infrastructure, affecting its ability to function normally during that period. To counteract the attack, the firm’s IT team deployed a solution to block malicious access attempts, prompting users to prove they were not automated bots before regaining access.
As the attack on Barci de Moraes was part of a larger series of incidents, its website was one of several targets affected by the hacker group’s coordinated efforts. The law firm’s website, which had been compromised at approximately 4:45 PM local time, was restored only after the team implemented necessary security measures. These measures helped protect both the firm’s systems and its clients from further disruption or data compromise during the cyberattack.
This attack highlights the growing risks associated with cybercrime in Brazil, particularly as it relates to retaliation against political decisions. With law enforcement and other governmental agencies also targeted, the hacker group’s motivations were rooted in political protest. While the Barci de Moraes law firm has since resumed normal operations, the broader implications of the attack, including the potential for additional vulnerabilities in critical legal infrastructure, are still under investigation.
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