A tech expert has warned that the increased Brexit uncertainty could fuel more cyber-attacks against the UK cabinet office, EU and media.
The warning comes as Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU withdrawal plan was rejected by 432 votes to 202, leading to increased uncertainty about the outcome of the referendum.
“With Brexit pending, we’re likely to see any geopolitical or ideological disputes echoed in cyber space,” said Darren Anstee is CTO of NETSCOUT.
The company provides application and network performance management products to government agencies and telecommunications service providers.
The CTO warned that DDoS attacks, which are designed to bring down and destroy websites and online systems, pose the most threat.
“With political and ideological disputes representing the third greatest motivation for launching DDoS attacks, such a landscape has provided a fertile ground for attackers,” he said.
“This could be in the form of attacks against EU institutions, the UK cabinet office, political parties or media outlets.”
Anstee believes that the threat created by Brexit uncertainty is not in isolation, and all businesses should be prepared for a polically-motivated attack in future.
“Other geopolitical events are also likely to fuel attacks, making it critical that countries and businesses build their understanding of cyber reflections, and stay vigilant.”