Cyber Incident Victim: Central Bank of Montenegro
Date:
May 2016
Location:
Montenegro
Summary
Anonymous conducted a series of high-volume DDoS attacks as part of Operation OpIcarus, targeting multiple global financial institutions including the Central Bank of Montenegro. The attacks disrupted online services, forcing victim websites offline for extended periods. This campaign aimed to protest against financial systems and demonstrate solidarity with global protest movements, aligning cyber operations with real-world demonstrations. The group cited motivations including retaliation against government arrests of hacktivists and support for social justice causes. The incident formed part of a broader pattern of attacks against central banks and monetary authorities worldwide during the operation's active phase.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 3 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
The Central Bank of Montenegro was targeted as part of Operation OpIcarus, a coordinated series of cyber attacks conducted by the hacktivist collective Anonymous and affiliated group Ghost Squad. The incident occurred between March and May 2016, with the bank listed among multiple financial institutions attacked during this period. Attackers employed distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks reaching 250 gigabits per second, a technique used against other central banks including those of Jordan, South Korea, Greece, Cyprus, Guernsey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Maldives Monetary Authority. The bank's website was forced offline during the attack, consistent with the operational pattern observed across other targets where services remained unavailable for multiple hours. No data breaches or system compromises beyond service disruption were reported for the Montenegrin central bank specifically.
Operation OpIcarus represented a sustained campaign against global financial infrastructure, relaunched in March 2016 with escalating intensity through May. Anonymous publicly framed these attacks as retaliation against perceived economic injustice, aligning with real-world protests including France's #NuitDebout movement and the #freeanons campaign supporting arrested hackers. The Central Bank of Montenegro's targeting appeared opportunistic rather than personally motivated, unlike the Philippine National Bank attack which specifically responded to a hacker's arrest. All affected banking websites, including Montenegro's, were restored to normal operation by May 15, 2016, when media reported the incidents. No technical countermeasures or law enforcement responses specific to the Montenegrin attack were detailed in available reporting.