Japan’s ruling party website taken down by pro-Russian hacktivists
Japan’s ruling political party was reportedly the victim of a cyberattack that disabled its website, just as the national election campaign began.
The website of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was hit by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack just at the start of the 12-day general election campaign, during which members of the House of Representatives of countries are elected.
The LDP website was not the only one affected, according to reports, with other state government entities, such as local government websites, also having their websites disabled.
According to Future savedThe attack was claimed by a number of pro-Russian hackers in response to a major joint military exercise between Japan and the United States expected to take place later this month.
The exercise will take place in areas close to the Russian border, something the Kremlin has already warned against, promising “adequate countermeasures.”
The threat actors, the Cyber Army of Russia and NoName057(16), claimed to be behind the attack, adding that they had targeted a number of organizations and agencies, including financial services, shipbuilding services, etc.
“We punish Russophobic Japan and remind it that any action against Russia can end badly,” NoName057(16) said in a statement seen by Future saved.
According to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki, the country is aware of the allegations and has informed national anti-cybercrime agencies, initiated security measures and opened an investigation into the breach, adding that the actions that undermine the country’s democratic process “will never be tolerated by any organization, group or individual in Japan.”
