Cyber Incident Victim: Ziraat Bankası
Date:
Dec 2015
Location:
Turkey
Summary
A cyberattack attributed to the hacktivist group Anonymous targeted Turkish government entities and financial institutions, including Ziraat Bank, through distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that paralyzed websites and disrupted transactions. The attackers claimed the campaign was motivated by Turkey's alleged support for ISIS, threatening further escalation against critical infrastructure like airports and military systems if ties continued. The attacks leveraged approximately 50,000 compromised local computers to flood targets with traffic, mirroring previous Anonymous operations against the country during periods of political unrest.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 3 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In late December 2015, Turkey experienced a sustained cyberattack campaign targeting government institutions and major financial entities, including Ziraat Bank, Garanti, and Isbank. The hacktivist group Anonymous claimed responsibility for the attacks, which employed distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) techniques to overwhelm websites with traffic. The two-week offensive intensified during the Christmas period, paralyzing online services and disrupting financial transactions across affected organizations. Attackers released a video statement explicitly linking their actions to Turkey's alleged support for Islamic State (ISIS), threatening continued disruption unless the government ceased such affiliations. The video specifically warned of escalating attacks against internet infrastructure, root DNS systems, banking networks, and eventually critical assets like airports and military systems. YouTube subsequently removed the threatening video, though not before its dissemination amplified operational concerns among targeted institutions.
Technical analysis indicated approximately 50,000 compromised computers within Turkey unwittingly contributed to the DDoS traffic, demonstrating the attack's broad collateral impact. Financial sector disruptions particularly affected Ziraat Bank and other major banks, crippling their public-facing online services during peak operational periods. The incident marked a recurrence of Anonymous operations against Turkey, echoing similar cyber offensives launched during the 2013 anti-government protests. No specific mitigation measures or containment actions by victim organizations were detailed in available reports, though the prolonged duration suggested significant operational resilience challenges. The attacks highlighted vulnerabilities in national critical infrastructure while underscoring hacktivist capabilities to mobilize substantial disruptive resources against state-aligned targets.