Liverpool City Council has confirmed that it has faced a rising number of cyberattacks linked to Russian state-funded hackers. The council revealed that the group known as Noname057(16) has repeatedly tried to break into its systems during the past two years.
Council Confirms Attacks Over Last Two Years
These hackers are described as a “hacktivist” group that often targets western governments, military systems, healthcare services, and transport networks. According to a council report prepared for its audit committee, the attempts on Liverpool’s systems involved the use of automated bot networks. These bots flood a system with traffic, aiming to overload or disable public services such as websites.
The report highlighted that while the cyberattacks have been frequent, none have succeeded in causing a full-scale ransomware breach. A ransomware attack usually involves criminals locking or disabling computer systems and then demanding money to restore access. The council said it has not experienced a successful ransomware incident in nine years.
Nature of the Attacks and Their Risks
The report explained that Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are the most common form used by groups like Noname057(16). In these attacks, the hackers use thousands of hijacked devices to overwhelm an organization’s online systems. This can result in services being temporarily taken offline, leaving the public unable to access important information or online facilities.
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For a local authority, such risks are serious because councils provide many services online. These include making payments, applying for permits, and accessing essential information. Even short outages can create confusion and disruption for local communities.
The report stated that the hackers often act for political or monetary reasons. They attempt to cause disruption to undermine trust or to show force against western institutions. While the attacks are highly disruptive, the council’s current security systems have so far been able to limit the damage and prevent severe breakdowns.
Steps Taken to Protect Public Systems
According to the report, Liverpool City Council has invested in several layers of cyber defense to protect against these intrusions. The systems are designed to reduce the effect of any attack on the council’s web-based services. These defenses include tools that detect suspicious traffic, block malicious requests, and filter out harmful activity before it reaches the main systems.
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The council acknowledged that cyberattacks are now a widespread problem affecting organizations across the UK. It said many councils and companies that rely on the internet are potential targets. The report also made clear that the risk is ongoing, with groups like Noname057(16) continuing to look for weak spots in online systems.
While the scale of attempted attacks has been growing, the council emphasized that its security setup has so far kept key services running. It continues to monitor threats closely to ensure residents can access online services without interruption.
