Cyber Incident Victim: Honda Greece
Date:
May 2018
Location:
Greece
Summary
A cyberattack targeted Honda Greece's website by Turkish hacker group Akincilar, defacing it with messages condemning Greece for allegedly harboring terrorists linked to Turkey's 2016 coup aftermath and threatening historical retaliation. The incident formed part of a broader campaign against Greek entities, including prior breaches of government and media websites, alongside Suzuki Greece and the Greek Handball Federation. This activity coincided with retaliatory cyber operations by Greek hackers against Turkish digital infrastructure, escalating amid heightened geopolitical tensions preceding Turkish elections.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On or around May 3, 2018, Turkish hacker group Akincilar ("Invaders") compromised the website of Honda Greece, replacing its normal content with a defacement message in Turkish and English. The message accused Greece of "partnering" with terrorists by refusing to extradite eight Turkish military officers who had sought asylum following the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. The hackers threatened historical retaliation, stating Turks would "throw you into the sea" – an explicit reference to the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. By May 7, Honda Greece's website remained inaccessible, displaying only the hackers' political statement. This incident formed part of a broader campaign, as the same group had previously targeted Greece's foreign ministry website, the Athens-Macedonia News Agency, the Greek Handball Federation, and Suzuki-Greece's digital properties. The attacks coincided with heightened geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
In response, Greek hackers affiliated with the Anonymous collective launched counterattacks on May 3, 2018, targeting Turk Telekom servers and disrupting the 24TV Live Turkish news website for several hours. The Greek hackers publicly linked their actions to the ongoing cyber conflict and announced intentions to continue operations as Turkey approached its upcoming elections. No remediation efforts by Honda Greece or Greek authorities were detailed in available reporting. The incident caused reputational damage to Honda Greece through prolonged website downtime and public dissemination of the threatening message, while the broader campaign demonstrated the escalation of hacktivist activities between Turkish and Greek groups during this period.