Switzerland faced a cyberattack carried out by the pro-Russia group NoName, leading to disruptions in access to government websites after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Davos. The hacker group, claiming responsibility for the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, stated on its Telegram channel, “Naturally, not empty-handed, but with DDoS gifts.” Switzerland’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) promptly detected the cyberattack and implemented measures to restore access to affected websites, which included the Davos-Klosters ski resort, POOL-ALPIN service provider, Swiss Ministry of the Interior, and Rhaetian railway leading to Davos. Despite the expected nature of the attack, appropriate security measures were in place, and the main portal of the Swiss government remained unaffected.
The cyberattack is not the first by NoName on Switzerland; a similar incident occurred in June, targeting multiple government websites, Swiss airports, municipalities, and associations. The recent attack was linked to President Zelensky’s attendance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, with the hacker group citing its pro-Russia stance. Despite the disruption, Switzerland’s commitment to hosting a peace summit for world leaders to address Russia’s war in Ukraine remained steadfast. The country has a history of not sending armaments to Kyiv or allowing the re-export of Swiss-made weaponry to Ukraine and has aligned with the European Union’s economic sanctions on Russia.
The Swiss government reassured the public that the cyberattack was anticipated, and security measures were in place to mitigate its impact. The NoName group’s motive appears to be financially motivated rather than politically driven, with the group not explicitly aligning itself with any government. Switzerland’s swift response to the cyber threat underscores the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures, and despite temporary disruptions, critical government functions were preserved, highlighting the resilience of the nation’s cyber defenses.
