The Swedish Tax Agency experienced multiple overload attacks on its website, primarily affecting login services. Initially, the disruptions were thought to be caused by high traffic from tax filers, but later confirmed to be due to DDoS attacks. The first two attacks occurred in the morning, with a third occurring around 11 am. IT Director Peder Sjölander mentioned the agency’s countermeasures, describing the situation as a “cat-and-mouse game” against attackers using varied methods.
In addition to the Tax Agency, the Swedish Courts Administration experienced internal system disruptions, but not related to overload attacks
. However, these disruptions did not affect ongoing trials or access to verdicts. The Tax Agency clarified that the issue was isolated to login services and did not affect content on its website or other services. They continued to work on resolving the issues as quickly as possible.
The Tax Agency confirmed that its systems were being targeted through repeated denial-of-service attacks, which blocked users from accessing My Pages and other e-services. Despite having a solid organization in place to handle such attacks, the agency acknowledged that disruptions persisted throughout the day.
These incidents have raised concerns over the vulnerability of government systems to such attacks, highlighting the ongoing threat of cyber disruptions.
The Swedish Tax Agency’s efforts to address the attacks included the deployment of countermeasures to limit the effects on affected services. While login issues persisted for some users, the agency continued to monitor and mitigate the situation. This incident reflects the growing challenge for organizations to protect their systems from sophisticated cyberattacks that can disrupt critical services, especially during peak times such as tax filing season.
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