Cyber Incident Victim: Albuquerque Police Department
Date:
Mar 2014
Location:
United States of America
Summary
Hacktivists associated with Anonymous conducted distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, disrupting the Albuquerque Police Department's website and the city's official site for hours in protest against fatal police shootings. The department acknowledged the cyberattacks but could not trace their origin, while city officials preemptively deactivated social media accounts, drawing criticism from the hackers. Concurrent street protests occurred, with authorities alleging violence that Anonymous disputed, following controversial incidents where officers killed individuals under disputed circumstances. Anonymous had previously threatened the attacks, urging physical occupations of police headquarters and providing DDoS tools to supporters.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On March 31, 2014, the Albuquerque Police Department confirmed its website experienced hours of disruption on Sunday, March 30, due to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. Hacktivists associated with Anonymous claimed responsibility, citing protests against police shootings of two individuals earlier in March. The group had publicly threatened cyberattacks and physical protests against APD the prior week, releasing a video statement urging supporters to occupy police headquarters and target departmental websites. Anonymous provided links to DDoS tools to facilitate participation in the online attacks, which temporarily disabled both the APD Recruitment site (apdonline.com) and the City of Albuquerque’s official website. City officials stated they had implemented enhanced security measures following Anonymous’s initial threats but acknowledged these failed to prevent the disruption. APD representatives told The Associated Press the attack’s source could not be traced, consistent with DDoS tactics leveraging compromised devices. In response to the cyber threats, the city preemptively deactivated its Facebook and Twitter accounts, a move Anonymous mocked publicly, questioning APD’s understanding of DDoS mitigation.
The cyberattacks coincided with extensive real-world demonstrations lasting over 10 hours, where hundreds protested recent police shootings. Albuquerque’s mayor characterized the protests as involving "mayhem," contradicting Anonymous’s claims the events remained peaceful. The unrest stemmed from two incidents: on March 16, officers shot a homeless man allegedly threatening them, though leaked video suggested he was turning away when killed. Days later, another man was fatally shot under disputed circumstances, with police claiming he fired at officers while his family asserted he held only a phone. Both shootings were under investigation at the time of the hacktivist operations. Anonymous framed its actions as retaliation for systemic police violence, accusing mainstream media of misrepresenting protest violence. The attacks disrupted public access to APD’s online recruitment portal and municipal services, while the social media shutdowns limited official communications channels indefinitely.