14 DAY TRIAL // At least four Ukrainian government websites appear to have been seized by NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).
Their visitors are presented with a warning message that reads something like this: “Website has been suspended. Security policy of the website does not meet the requirements of NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. Steadfast Jazz 2013."
The impacted websites are vmu.ssu.gov.ua, gp.gov.ua, ns.mon.gov.ua and parlament.org.ua.
While the Ukrainian government sites appear to have been seized by NATO, the more likely scenario is that some hackers defaced them and instead of the usual “we hacked you” message, they decided to add a more interesting defacement page.
I’ve reached out to CCDCOE just to make sure they haven’t got anything to do with the “suspended” websites.
I think this hack might be a response to Anonymous Ukraine’s Operation Independence. The hacktivists have been hacking and disrupting high-profile websites of the EU, Ukraine, Poland and Russia in support of Ukraine’s independence from other countries and organizations, including NATO.
The timing of this cyberattack “on behalf of NATO” suggests that someone is trolling Anonymous Ukraine.
Update. CCDCOE representatives have confirmed that NATO doesn't have anything to do with this.