On Tuesday, the European Parliament passed a resolution declaring that Russia is a state sponsor of terrorism, citing the Kremlin’s support for separatists in eastern Ukraine and its actions in Syria. Shortly afterward, the website of the European Parliament went offline, leading some to speculate that the two events are connected.
The European Parliament’s resolution was a response to what it sees as Russia’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy. The document cites Russia’s alleged role in downing MH17, its military buildup in Crimea, and its backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as evidence of its support of terror. The resolution also calls for increased sanctions on Russia and urges Western allies to provide further support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia-backed separatists.
Following the passage of the resolution, the website of the European Parliament went offline for several hours. A spokesman for the parliament said the disruption was the result of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, a type of cyberattack commonly used to take down computer systems or websites. There is no evidence thus far to suggest that the attack was linked to the vote, but some have nonetheless raised the possibility that it may have been launched by Russia or its allies as a form of retaliation.
It is not uncommon for websites to be targeted in the aftermath of politically sensitive decisions. But this incident does seem to be particularly noteworthy, given the timing and the nature of the European Parliament’s decision. While the investigation into the cause of the outage is still ongoing, the parliament has taken measures to improve its security in the wake of the attack.
The incident is a stark reminder of the power and reach of cybercrime and its potential to disrupt the political process. It also highlights the potential consequences of taking a strong stance against Russia on the world stage. Whatever the outcome of the investigation, it seems clear that the European Parliament has made a statement in more ways than one.
