Pro-Russian hackers attacked Romanian government websites on election day.

The hacker group NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on the official websites of Romanian state institutions on the day of the first round of presidential elections on May 4.

The hackers reported that they conducted a DDoS attack on the websites of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of Romania.

As a result of the attack, the websites of the Constitutional Court, the main government portal, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania were affected. The websites of presidential candidates, including Crina Antonescu and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, were also attacked.

The National Cyber Security Authority of Romania reported that the websites became accessible to users on May 4 at 14:00 local Time.

On May 4, repeated presidential elections took place in Romania, with 11 candidates participating. The leaders of the far-right party George Simion and Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan advanced to the second round.

According to the decision of the Constitutional Court, the first round of presidential elections, scheduled for December 6, 2024, was canceled due to manipulation by foreign actors on social media. It is noted that a pro-Russian candidate was promoted using the TikTok platform. This is indicated by information from Romanian intelligence.

During the elections, George Simion stated that if he wins, he will grant a leading position to the banned candidate Kalin Georgescu.

Analysis:

The hackers NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on Romanian state websites during the presidential elections. Their targets included the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of Romania, as well as the websites of presidential candidates, including Crina Antonescu and Nicusor Dan. The National Cyber Security Authority reported that the websites resumed operation after the attack.

The repeated presidential elections in Romania concluded with the emergence of two candidates - George Simion and Nicusor Dan. However, previously the first round of these elections was canceled due to foreign interference, which manipulated the TikTok platform to promote the pro-Russian candidate Kalin Georgescu. Information from Romanian intelligence suggests that Russia stands behind these manipulations. Despite this, George Simion stated that in the event of victory, he would grant the leadership position precisely to Kalin Georgescu.