Hacktivists unite for the #FreeDurov marketing campaign to launch a large cyber marketing campaign in opposition to France in response to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest, concentrating on over 50 French organizations with DDoS assaults and hacking methods.
The arrest of Pavel Durov, the founding father of the favored messaging app Telegram, by French authorities has triggered a collection of cyberattacks from varied hacktivist teams. These teams, primarily pro-Russian and pro-Islamic, have launched distributed denial of service assaults (DDoS Assaults) in opposition to dozens of French targets, demanding Durov’s launch.
On the forefront of the marketing campaign, dubbed #FreeDurov or #OpDurov, are the hacktivist teams such because the Cyber Military of Russia Reborn (CARR), RipperSec, EvilWeb, CyberDragon, UserSec, and STUCX Workforce. These teams have been utilizing their collective assets to launch DDoS assaults on French web sites, together with authorities businesses, healthcare establishments, airports, academic establishments, and personal firms.
CARR, a pro-Russian group with ties to Russia’s navy intelligence service, has been significantly energetic within the marketing campaign. With over 62,000 members on its Telegram channel, the group has focused a number of high-profile French organizations, together with the Council of Europe and the French Nationwide Heart for Scientific Analysis.
RipperSec, a bunch from Malaysia, has additionally been concerned within the marketing campaign, utilizing its custom-built DDoS device, MegaMedusa, to launch assaults on French targets. The group has claimed accountability for attacking a number of distinguished French web sites, together with the French Ministry of Justice and the French Nationwide Police.
Different teams, equivalent to EvilWeb and CyberDragon, have additionally joined the marketing campaign, utilizing a mix of DDoS assaults and hacking methods to compromise French web sites. The teams have been sharing their exploits on their Telegram channels, with some even claiming to have obtained delicate information from French organizations.
The motivations behind the marketing campaign range among the many teams. Whereas some have expressed help for Durov and Telegram, others have said that their main concern is the operational security of the messaging app. In keeping with Examine Level’s analysis, some pro-Russian teams have even proclaimed that Durov is “one of ours” and have engaged in cyberwarfare for patriotic causes.
Nonetheless, whereas the depth of the assaults has decreased since Durov’s launch from police custody, it will likely be essential to see what occurs if France punishes the tech entrepreneur over what authorities declare are Telegram moderation-related points.
