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Christmas Deliveries Halted: Russian Hackers Claim Responsibility for French Postal Service Cyberattack
**The holiday season has taken a chaotic turn in France as a major cyberattack on the national postal service, La Poste, brought package deliveries to a grinding halt just days before Christmas. In a shocking claim, the pro-Russian hacking group Noname057 has come forward, taking credit for the devastating digital assault.
The attack, which was carried out using a distributed denial of service (DDoS) technique, knocked offline central computer systems at La Poste on Monday morning. The disruption still lingered on Wednesday, leaving postal workers unable to track package deliveries and causing chaos for customers who rely on the service during the busiest time of year.
La Poste, which delivered an impressive 2.6 billion packages in 2022 and employs over 200,000 people, was caught off guard by the attack. The disruption has had a significant impact on the company's operations, particularly given the critical role it plays during the holiday season.
The investigation into the hacking attack has been taken over by French intelligence agency DGSI, with prosecutors from the Paris prosecutor's office confirming that Noname057 is suspected of being behind the cyberattack. The group has a history of carrying out similar attacks in Europe, including incidents targeting NATO summits and French government sites.
Noname057 was previously the target of a major European police operation earlier this year, highlighting the extent to which law enforcement agencies are working to combat the threat posed by these types of cyberattacks. The group's actions have also been linked to Russia's alleged campaign of "hybrid warfare," which aims to sow division and undermine support for Ukraine among Western nations.
France and its European allies have long accused Russia of using a range of tactics, including sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, disinformation, and more, in an effort to disrupt the stability of Western societies. The AP has tracked over 145 incidents attributed to these types of hostile acts, which are increasingly draining police resources.
As Christmas approaches, the disruption to La Poste's operations is likely to cause significant inconvenience for customers across France. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that exist in the digital world and the ongoing threat posed by cyberattacks from groups like Noname057.
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Background: A History of Cyberattacks
**The recent attack on La Poste is just the latest in a string of incidents linked to Noname057. The group has been accused of carrying out similar attacks in Europe, including an incident targeting a NATO summit in the Netherlands and French government sites.
Noname057 was also the target of a major European police operation earlier this year, highlighting the extent to which law enforcement agencies are working to combat the threat posed by these types of cyberattacks. The group's actions have been linked to Russia's alleged campaign of "hybrid warfare," which aims to sow division and undermine support for Ukraine among Western nations.
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What's Next?
**As the investigation into the hacking attack continues, La Poste is likely to face significant challenges in restoring its operations. The disruption to package deliveries has already had a major impact on customers, who are facing uncertainty and inconvenience during one of the busiest times of year.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by cyberattacks from groups like Noname057. As Western nations continue to grapple with the challenges posed by these types of hostile acts, it is clear that more needs to be done to protect critical infrastructure and prevent such incidents in the future.