Telegram App Targeted in DDoS Cyberattack

Telegram App Targeted in DDoS Cyberattack

An DDoS attack aimed at slowing connectivity for the Telegram app took place this week. The cyberattack coincided with large protests in Hong Kong, and with most of the IP addresses coming from China, it is speculated that they were involved in the attack.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • Jun 14, 2019

The Telegram messaging app was overloaded by a DDoS cyberattack this week. The attack was performed in order to flood the app with so much traffic that it slowed users’ connectivity – it was not an attempt to steal users’ data.

The attack coincided with large protests in Hong Kong over an extradition bill with China. Many of the protesters were said to have been communicating over the Telegram app, as there are ways to encrypt messages end-to-end to ensure privacy. Because of this strenuous encryption, the app has been used in terrorist attacks as communication previously, and was the subject of an Iranian government controversy last year.

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, said in a tweet that the IP addresses mostly came from China and consisted of 200-400 Gb/s of clutter.

“Historically, all state actor-sized (attacks) we experienced coincided in time with protests in Hong Kong,” Durov said. “This case was not an exception.”

The attack did not only affect Asia though, but any country that was using the app. The company said in a tweet that the Americas and some users from other countries may experience connection issues.

Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate at Comparitech.com, said that Durov has good reason to suspect China is the reason for this DDoS attack.

“Telegram CEO Pavel Durov isn’t crazy for suspecting the Chinese government is targeting Telegram,” Bischoff said. “It wouldn’t be the first time that China has weaponized botnets – a group of computers that can be controlled from a single command and control point – to target websites with DDoS attacks.”

Bischoff said in 2015, the largest DDoS attack in history up to that point was attributed to China. The attack was aimed at two censorship circumvention tools hosted on the Github site.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.