They claim pro-Russian hackers have attacked a section of the FBI’s website that they believe was used by Russia-aligned hackers to protect the U.S., the latest addition to recent attacks on government websites. Hacking group Killnet shared a post on its Telegram page on Monday flagging an “attack” on a law enforcement resource site for the FBI. The message contained a photo of what appeared to be a failed attempt to break into the FBI site.
The post was originally shared by another account called “RADIS,” whose bio mentions the “Kilnet team” and Russia’s defense of cyberspace. In a subsequent Telegram post on Monday, RADIS wrote: “Glory to Russia and Kilnet.” It was not immediately clear whether RADIS was directly connected or part of Kilnet’s collective of hackers.
When Newsweek accessed the FBI site Monday morning, no functional problems were found. Earlier on Monday, the Twitter account for Better Cyber, which describes itself as a cybersecurity services company, shared a screenshot that said the page could not be reached and that the site’s web address appeared to lead to a page it was not intended for.
Newsweek could not independently verify the FBI’s alleged problems with the site or the involvement of pro-Russian hackers. Newsweek has reached out to the FBI for confirmation and comment.
Although the reports are authentic, some U.S. The attack comes a month after Kilnet claimed responsibility for attacks that took down websites for airports. Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were among those affected, but no problems with actual airport operations were reported at the time.
In October, many U.S. Kilnet was also responsible for the temporary takedown of state government websites, as well as a cyberattack on American military company Lockheed Martin in August.
The recent cyberattacks come amid strained relations between Russia, the US and other Western nations amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the West sharply criticized the aggression and moved swiftly to impose unprecedented sanctions on the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, the U.S. And other Western countries have continued to provide aid to Ukraine without directly engaging in combat in the more than eight-month-old conflict.
This includes the U.S. Also supplied are High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which have been repeatedly praised for their effectiveness in the fight against Russia.