• NoName057(16) launches “Patriotic Online Games” hacking campaign
• Targets European organizations supporting Ukraine
• Volunteers rewarded with cryptocurrency for attacks

NoName057(16), a pro-Russian hacker group known for DDoS attacks against Western organizations, launched a hacking initiative to get as many cybercriminals engaged in attacks against organizations in Europe.

According to Cybersecurity Insiders, the group took to Telegram to call upon “patriotic volunteers” which would then be given specific assignments, ranging from DDoS attacks, across information-gathering missions, to ransomware. The organizers call the campaign “Patriotic Online Games”, likely to draw a larger crowd and hide the fact that this is essentially a criminal enterprise.

The targets are, first and foremost, located in European countries that voiced their support to Ukraine in its war against Russia. They include government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure organizations. Those who successfully pull off their task get paid in cryptocurrency, allegedly being paid out directly into their wallets.

Who are NoName057(16)?

NoName057(16) is a very active threat actor, seen running highly disruptive DDoS attacks, hits against Taiwanese critical infrastructure firms, and observed striking Italian airports.

A few months ago, the Italian government claimed it successfully thwarted a series of cyberattacks targeting the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. At the time, foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the attack hit facilities connected to the 2026 Winter Games, including hotels in the Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo where athletes were staying.

The wide-ranging attack reportedly hit around 120 targets, including foreign ministry offices in the US, as well as consulates in Sydney, Toronto and Paris, and La Sapienza university in Rome was also hit in a seemingly separate attack also attributed to Russian-linked hackers.

On Telegram, NoName057(16) confirmed the victims were targeted because of Italy’s support for Ukraine: “The Italian government’s pro-Ukrainian policy means that support for Ukrainian terrorists is punished with our DDoS attacks,” the group said on Telegram.

Russia generally dismisses all such claims as ‘Russophobia’ or politically motivated, unsubstantiated assessments.

Via Cybersecurity Insiders

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Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.