The port of Rotterdam fell victim to a cyberattack orchestrated by hackers affiliated with Russia, according to port authorities. This incident comes after similar attacks on several Dutch ports, including Amsterdam and Groningen, where distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks disrupted online operations.
The Dutch National Cyber Security Center provided the port of Rotterdam with information pointing to pro-Russian groups as the culprits behind the cyberattack.
A DDoS attack is a malicious cyberattack that aims to disrupt the normal functioning of a target website, network, or online service by overwhelming it with a flood of illegitimate traffic. The objective is to make the targeted system unavailable to its intended users, causing inconvenience, financial losses, or reputational damage.
DDoS attacks work by utilizing multiple compromised devices, often forming a network of bots or zombies called a botnet. These compromised devices, which can include computers, servers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, or even smartphones, are usually infected with malware or controlled by the attacker through other means.
Reports from Dutch news outlet RTL shed light on the motives behind the cyberattacks. A hacker group self-identified as “NoName057(16)” claimed responsibility, stating that the attacks were in response to the Netherlands’ plans to procure Swiss tanks for Ukraine.
Fortunately, no money was paid to the pro-Russian hackers, and there was no compromise of sensitive data, as confirmed by a port spokesperson.
