Cyber Incident Victim: South Yorkshire Police
Date:
Jun 2016
Location:
United Kingdom
Summary
South Yorkshire Police experienced a cyber incident where Albanian hackers compromised and defaced two of its official websites, replacing homepage content with a message proclaiming Albanian pride alongside a video. The attackers did not disclose a motive, though the act appeared to be opportunistic rather than politically targeted. The force acknowledged the breach via social media and restored services promptly, apologizing for any inconvenience caused. This incident mirrored prior UK law enforcement website compromises, highlighting recurring vulnerabilities in police digital infrastructure.
| 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 June 26, 2016, two official websites operated by South Yorkshire Police were compromised by hackers identifying themselves as Albanian. The attackers replaced the homepages of both sites with a defacement message containing Albanian nationalist imagery and text. The message included the phrases "Hacked by Nofawkx-al | Kkuq e zi! behind every success there is a story | Illyrians arrived!" and "Red and black I dress, eagle on my chest, keep my head up for the flag I die, it’s good to be Albanian," accompanied by a video. The defacement did not specify any political grievances or demands against the police force or the United Kingdom. Both affected websites appeared to host identical content and services prior to the attack, though the police force maintained separate online platforms for unknown operational reasons. Zone-h, an internet security monitoring service, preserved mirrors of the defaced pages for documentation purposes.
South Yorkshire Police acknowledged the incident through official social media channels, with their Twitter account (@syptweet) confirming restoration of services on the same day while apologizing for inconvenience. No data breaches or operational disruptions beyond the website defacements were reported. The incident drew parallels to previous cyberattacks against UK law enforcement agencies, including a 2012 breach of Hertfordshire Police servers related to Operation OpFreeAssange that resulted in data leaks. Forensic analysis of the South Yorkshire attack suggested opportunistic targeting rather than politically motivated action, as no historical tensions between Albania and the UK could explain the targeting. The Albanian hacker group's identity and technical methods remained unconfirmed in available reporting, with no subsequent claims regarding data exfiltration or persistent access.