Cyber Incident Victim: Andorra Telecom
Date:
Jan 2022
Location:
Andorra
Summary
A series of DDoS attacks targeted the sole internet provider of Andorra, disrupting nationwide connectivity during a high-stakes Minecraft tournament modeled after the Squid Game series. The multi-day attacks coincided with live events of the Squidcraft Games, a Twitch-hosted competition offering a $100,000 prize, and specifically impacted Spanish-speaking participants based in the country. Attack traffic reached 100 Gbps bursts, attributed to a DDoS-for-hire service, which caused connectivity failures that eliminated multiple Andorran players from the tournament. The incidents also affected thousands of residential, business, and government users due to the provider's critical role in the small nation. Despite the disruptions, the tournament became the most-watched event in Twitch Rivals history.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
Between January 21 and January 24, 2022, Andorra Telecom experienced repeated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that disrupted internet connectivity across the entire principality. The attacks occurred during live events of Squidcraft Games, a Minecraft tournament modeled after Netflix's Squid Game series, which offered a $100,000 prize exclusively to Spanish-speaking participants from Europe and Latin America. Attackers targeted Andorra Telecom's infrastructure on four consecutive days—Friday through Monday—with traffic floods peaking at approximately 100 Gbps during short bursts. Evidence linked the attacks to infrastructure associated with DDoS-for-hire services, indicating the perpetrators likely purchased temporary access to botnet resources. The timing coincided precisely with tournament sessions, suggesting deliberate attempts to disrupt Andorra-based competitors.
The attacks caused nationwide internet outages lasting multiple hours per incident, affecting residential users, businesses, and government services. At least twelve competitors residing in Andorra—including prominent Twitch streamers Auron, Grefg, and Vicens—were eliminated from the tournament due to connection failures or latency issues during critical challenges. Andorra Telecom publicly attributed the outages to DDoS attacks targeting the gaming event. The principality's vulnerability stemmed from its reliance on a single ISP and geographically isolated network infrastructure. Despite these disruptions, Squidcraft Games became Twitch Rivals' most-watched event, attracting millions of viewers during its five-day run. No additional defensive measures or technical responses from Andorra Telecom were detailed in available reports beyond incident confirmation and attribution.