Federal government websites back online after earlier cyber attack
Posted June 17, 2015 11:41 am.
Last Updated June 17, 2015 1:01 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – There has been a cyber attack on some federal government websites, says Treasury Board President Tony Clement.
He explains it was a denial-of-service attack on the gc.ca domain server, which forced many federal government websites completely inaccessible.
Some of the websites affected included: Industry, Employment, Natural Resources, Fisheries and Oceans, Justice, Labour, Foreign Affairs, Environment Canada and Transport Canada.
Dominic Vogel, a security analyst for First West Credit Union, says this kind of attack is a specific attempt to knock out service by flooding websites with more requests than they’re equipped to handle.
“Think of denial-of-service as whenever there’s an accident on Highway 1, any service to the freeway is basically blocked, people can’t get on the freeway or the freeway is not moving — that’s the metaphor I like to use.”
Vogel adds these sorts of attacks are rare, although they are becoming more frequent, pointing to a recent data breach at the US Office of Personnel Management.
The ‘Anonymous’ online collective posted a video on YouTube claiming responsibility for the attack as a protest against the recent passage of the federal anti-terrorism bill.
There was no immediate confirmation of the claim.
