Cyber Incident Victim: Greek Handball Federation
Date:
Apr 2018
Location:
Greece
Summary
A cyber conflict erupted between Turkish and Greek hacker groups, with Turkish hackers defacing Greek state-run media and corporate websites, posting messages accusing Greece of supporting terrorism. In retaliation, Greek hackers targeted Turkish media outlets and claimed access to thousands of telecom routers, exchanging threats and political accusations. The attacks highlighted escalating bilateral tensions, referencing asylum cases and detained soldiers, with both sides threatening further disruptions amid deteriorating diplomatic relations.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 3 motives | 2 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
The cyber conflict between Greek and Turkish hacker groups escalated in late April and early May 2018, beginning with Turkish hacker group Akincilar's defacement of the Greek state-run ANA-MPA news agency's webpage on April 30. The attackers replaced the site's content with a bilingual Turkish-English message accusing Greece of supporting terrorist organizations. This initial breach was followed by another Akincilar attack targeting the Greek webpage of Japanese automaker Suzuki, where the same accusatory message was displayed. The Greek Foreign Ministry responded on May 3 with a routine statement indicating cyber attacks were being "neutralized immediately by the responsible authorities," though no specific technical countermeasures were disclosed.
Greek hacking collective Anonymous Greece retaliated on May 4 by disrupting Turkish television network Top Channel 24 TV's operations. Through a Medium.com post, they issued a political manifesto condemning President Erdogan's military actions in Afrin, accusing Turkey of supporting ISIS and mistreating Kurdish populations. The group specifically referenced two diplomatic incidents: Greece's granting of asylum to eight Turkish military officers and Turkey's detention of two Greek soldiers who allegedly crossed the border during foggy conditions. Anonymous Greece claimed to have compromised 12,987 Turk Telecom routers, asserting control over Turkish network infrastructure for potential future attacks. Akincilar responded with renewed threats against Greek nationals, invoking historical references to maritime conflicts and warning they would "throw" supporters of FETO (a designated terrorist organization in Turkey) "into the sea." The sustained digital hostilities occurred against the backdrop of deteriorating bilateral relations and Turkey's approaching general elections, with cybersecurity incidents replacing traditional military confrontations as the primary channel for geopolitical tensions between the two nations.