Cyberattackers use easily available tools to target media sites, threaten press freedom
When exiled Russian news website Meduza was hit with a flood of internet traffic in mid-April, it set off alarm bells among the staff as the deluge blocked publishing for more than four hours and briefly rendered the site inaccessible for some readers. It was the largest distributed denial of service attack (DDoS) attack in…
‘Network abuse’: Attacks on 3 media sites involved services of US, UK firms
Cyberattackers used services of technology companies based in the U.S. and U.K. to target media sites from Somalia, Kosovo, and Turkmenistan, Qurium, a nonprofit hosting the sites, said Tuesday. Earlier this month, CPJ reported on how cyberattackers used a Nebraska company, RayoByte, in attempts to knock those same media sites offline, as well as at…
Cyberattackers used US company RayoByte in efforts to crash media sites
The cyberattack against the Somali Journalists Syndicate could not have come at a worse time. A distributed denial-of-service attack, known by its acronym DDoS, flooded the local press freedom group’s website with traffic in early August and knocked it offline. Days later, authorities arrested SJS staff member and Kaab TV editor Mohamed Ibrahim Osman Bulbul…
Kazakh outlet Moy Gorod receives bomb threat
Stockholm, April 14, 2023—Kazakh authorities should thoroughly investigate a recent bomb threat against Kazakh news outlet Moy Gorod and take steps to ensure the outlet’s safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On April 7, an individual emailed Moy Gorod’s editorial office in the northwestern city of Oral saying they had planted a bomb…
CPJ calls on authorities to arrest organizers of attacks on independent journalists in Kazakhstan
Stockholm, February 23, 2023 – Kazakh authorities must thoroughly investigate a fresh wave of attacks on independent journalists and ensure that all involved are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. In at least four incidents since February 5, journalists and their family members in various cities across Kazakhstan have faced attacks…
Journalists throughout Kazakhstan harassed, threatened for their work
Stockholm, January 24, 2023 – Kazakh authorities should thoroughly investigate a recent spate of attacks on independent journalists, hold all those responsible to account, and ensure that members of the press are able to work safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Since January 12, journalists throughout Kazakhstan have seen their cars set on…
CPJ strongly condemns cyberattack on Konde.co in Indonesia
Bangkok, November 1, 2022—Authorities in Indonesia must launch an independent investigation into a cyberattack on the Konde.co news website and identify the perpetrators, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On October 24, Konde.co was hit by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that temporarily brought down the independent local news website, according to news reports and the…
Three Philippine media outlets face latest in a string of cyberattacks
Three Philippine news websites, ABS-CBN News, Rappler, and Vera Files, publicized separate distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks between December 11 and 23, 2021. The attacks flood websites with requests to prevent them from functioning, and the sites were periodically forced offline by huge spikes in traffic coinciding with political news coverage. All three sites have been…
Brazilian media outlet that covers women’s rights targeted with DDoS attack
Between March 26 and April 2, 2021, unidentified internet users orchestrated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Portal Catarinas, an online media outlet specializing in gender, feminism, and human rights, according to Paula Guimarães, the portal’s executive director and a report by the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI). The attacks flooded the site with traffic…
Investigative outlet Repórter Brasil targeted with cyberattacks, threats, attempted break-in
Rio de Janeiro, January 13, 2021 — Brazilian authorities must swiftly and thoroughly investigate threats to Repórter Brasil, and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. From January 6 to 12, unidentified internet users orchestrated a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on the website of Repórter Brasil, an investigative reporting and…