To wreak havoc on the roads of the Russian capital, such was the project realized for a little less than an hour by hackers claiming to be from Anonymous.
The collective has targeted Yandex Taxi in order to bring together many drivers simultaneously on certain arteries in the historic center of Moscow.
Better to be in the subway at that time
The Anonymous, although the collective claim of their actions is more or less questionable, are investing alongside the Ukrainian cyber army to put the Russian government in difficulty. A choice that leads them to vary their actions, including against private companies such as Yandex Taxi on 1er last September. Anonymous’ idea then was to hack and take control of the carpooling application to simulate a simultaneous high demand for taxi rides at the same point.
Choosing Moscow, the Anonymous thus managed to divert several dozen vehicles on the Kutuzovsky prospect, one of the main arteries towards the historic center of the Russian capital. All of the shopping requested then came from the Fili district, in the heart of the city. It did not take less to generate a major traffic jam.
The impact of the action illustrates a series of hits carried out by Anonymous for several months already, and their declaration of cyberwar on Russia. According to several media such as The Vergethe incident was however resolved in a few tens of minutes, the time Yandex Taxi regained control of its application.
Yandex Taxi is preparing to avoid a recurrence
Yandex Taxi company soberly commented on the situation through a spokeswoman for the firm, Polina Pestova, according to comments reported by The Verge : “ The morning of 1er September, Yandex Taxi faced an attempt by attackers disrupting its service – several dozen drivers received bulk orders in the Fili district “.
Although Moscow is renowned for its ability to remain one of the most congested cities in the world, a precedent of such magnitude is not known. Yandex Taxi said it has since improved its algorithm to prevent potential new attempts to sow discord in Moscow, or elsewhere.
Sources: Engadget, The Verge
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