A rise in hacktivist attacks puts all web applications at risk, warns UK’s NCSC

Security warning highlights need to protect online services and systems from threats

Takeaways

• National security agency flags a rise in pro-Russia hacktivist distributed-denial-of service (DDoS) attacks
• DDoS attacks can take services offline, erode trust and stall operations
• Advanced, effective web application security can protect against DDoS and deeper application layer attacks, safeguarding sensitive data and reducing business risk and impact

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has renewed the warning first issued with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and more than 20 other security agencies in December 2025 — that pro-Russia activist groups are targeting organizations with repeated attacks to take web services offline and disrupt operations.

According to the NCSC, hacktivist groups are launching distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and other disruptive activity against public and private sector organizations, including government bodies, critical infrastructure and service providers. The NCSC singles out the well-known group NoName057(16), which is using its denial-of-service toolkit ‘DDoSia’ to overwhelm online infrastructure.

Hacktivism as part of the cyberthreat ecosystem

Hacktivists are part of a broader ecosystem of threat actors that are motivated by geopolitical narratives, ideology or simply visibility and notoriety. Unlike financially driven criminals, a hacktivist’s goal is disruption. That means any publicly accessible digital system can become a target.

These attacks may not always be highly sophisticated, but their impact can be significant.

A successful DDoS attack can mean that:

• Websites and public portals go offline
• Customer access to the website is blocked during critical service windows
• Brand trust erodes because web application availability is unreliable
• Sales and operations stall because key online systems are inaccessible

The NCSC guidance emphasizes that even basic DDoS attacks can drain IT resources, affect revenue, and more.

Beyond DDoS

Threat intelligence shows that attackers also target the application layer itself, using techniques such as SQL injection, broken authentication, cross-site scripting (XSS), and more. These can also be used to disrupt operations or expose unprotected sensitive data.

Securing web applications is business-critical

For many organizations, web applications are a primary access point for digital services, shaping the customer experience and driving revenue streams.

As attackers increasingly combine volume-based disruptions such as DDoS attacks with application-layer probes and exploits, robust web application security is no longer optional, it’s central to operational resilience.

Why web application security matters

1. It guards against disruption and downtime

Hacktivist campaigns like those highlighted by the NCSC and other agencies show how public services and business portals can be overwhelmed by targeted traffic or attacks. Traditional network security alone doesn’t always stop these threats. Application-aware protection is required to intelligently distinguish legitimate traffic from malicious floods or abuse.

2. It protects sensitive data

Web applications frequently process personal, financial or proprietary data. Exploitable vulnerabilities (whether they are injection flaws or misconfigurations) can expose that data or allow attackers to hijack sessions and steal credentials. Proactive application security closes these gaps before they can be exploited.

3. It reduces business risk and cost

Without appropriate application security, organizations may incur:

• Regulatory fines due to breaches of personal data
• Emergency remediation costs after an exploit
• Customer churn from service interruptions
• Loss of competitive trust in digital services

Strategic application security helps organizations move from reactive patching to proactive defense, minimizing both the likelihood and impact of attacks.

4. It leverages intelligence and automation

Modern application protection solutions continuously ingest threat intelligence to recognize and respond to emerging attack vectors in real time. This is critical in environments where attackers — including hacktivist groups — evolve their tactics quickly.

How Barracuda protects web applications and digital services

Barracuda views web application security as a multilayered shield, blending intelligent detection and proactive defense to keep services online and data safe.

Barracuda’s application protection technologies deliver:

• Comprehensive mitigation of OWASP Top 10 attacks and zero-day threats to stop common and emerging exploit techniques.
• Advanced bot and DDoS protection that defends against volumetric traffic floods and targeted layer-7 attacks.
• Active Threat Intelligence, which is driven by real-time learning from global attack trends, enabling faster detection and adaptive shielding.
• Data theft protection and secure protocol enforcement to prevent inadvertent leaks of sensitive information.

These capabilities ensure that whether an organization faces a hacktivist-driven denial-of-service campaign or more sophisticated attempts to infiltrate an their systems, they are equipped with layered, resilient defenses.

Conclusion

The NCSC’s advisory is a reminder that disruptive threats are real, active and evolving.

In an increasingly hostile digital threat landscape, organizations must treat web application security as a core pillar of their cyber defense strategy, not only to protect sensitive data but to ensure availability, continuity and trust.

With web applications now among the most targeted components of an organization’s attack surface, strengthening security at the application layer isn’t just good practice, it’s essential for business risk management.

Barracuda offers a free 30-day trial of its WAF-as-a-Service. The security is deployed and active within minutes, and customers can enjoy the benefits before making a commitment. For further information, visit our website.