Reports have suggested that pro-Russian hackers may be responsible for the recent cyber attacks in Canada, causing concern among government and security agencies.
Several ports in Canada suffered multiple cyber attacks this week. The Ports of Halifax, Montreal, and Québec were targeted by a ‘denial-of-service attack’ which flooded their websites with traffic, causing them to crash.
While it is unclear who was behind this particular attack, local news outlet Montreal Gazette reported that a pro-Russian group known as NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for another attack that occurred just two days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, in Toronto.
Trudeau reportedly used the meeting to announce a series of new military, economic, and cultural measures for Ukraine, including a donation of ammunition, assault rifles, and machine guns.
The Canadian Prime Minister has also recently linked the recent cyberattacks to Russia or pro-Russian groups, indicating the seriousness of the situation.
“Obviously, Canada’s unequivocally strong stance in support of Ukraine and against Russia’s illegal actions is bothersome to the Russian government and to pro-Russian hackers,” Trudeau said.
READ: Criminal networks targeting major ports for infiltration and control
This latest cyberattack has raised concerns about the potential physical damage that could result from such attacks on critical infrastructure networks, including ports.
Canada’s cybersecurity agency, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, recently issued a warning about the real risk of physical damage to the country’s critical infrastructure from cyber attacks.
As the threat of cyber attacks continues to rise, the Canadian government has also urged critical infrastructure organisations to follow government recommendations to help protect against such attacks.
Defence Minister Anita Anand has laid out specific actions that organisations can take, including monitoring networks and applying mitigations.
Earlier this year, DNV confirmed its ShipManager software was victim to a cyber attack.
