Russian hackers, allegedly led by the pro-Putin hacktivist group KillNet and their purported leader Hacker KillMilk, have claimed responsibility for a targeted cyber attack on the Royal Family’s official website.
Furthermore, this attack occurred shortly after King Charles publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Royal Family’s website, royal.uk, was temporarily taken down for approximately 90 minutes due to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Palace sources have confirmed that the hackers did not gain access to the Royal Family’s systems or content, but the incident has prompted an ongoing investigation.
KillNet, a pro-Russia group, has a history of cyber attacks on government institutions and private companies worldwide. It is believed to have formed around March 2022, pledging support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The group is known for conducting Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, techniques that disrupt servers by inundating them with requests, rendering them temporarily unusable.
The Five Eyes intelligence network, comprising intelligence agencies from five countries, has previously warned of KillNet’s threats to support Russia and target anyone who opposes Russia or supports Ukraine.
While Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the incident, a royal source confirmed that the website experienced a DoS attack, emphasizing that the servers were not compromised.
The website was quickly restored within two hours, but the identity of the hackers behind the attack remains undisclosed. This cyber attack underscores the growing role of hacktivist groups in geopolitical conflicts and the need for heightened cybersecurity measures to protect high-profile targets like the Royal Family.
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