Cyberattack hits NYPD union site

The website for the New York City Police Department (NYPD)’s union was hit with a cyberattack over the weekend that one official attributed to Anonymous.

The NYPD’s Captain Endowment Association President Roy Richter tied the malware attack to the global hacking collective, saying the hit lined up with comments made on Twitter.

{mosads}At the same time, he clarified, investigators have not officially discovered the source of the malware. Richter’s impression that Anonymous was responsible was shared with police officers over the weekend in a letter.

The attack appeared designed to disable the site rather than steal personal information, none of which is stored at NYPDCEA.org, according to the group. It is considered a “nuisance rather than a security threat,” Richter said.

Hackers behind the attack could be targeting groups affiliated with the NYPD because the department’s site is better protected. Online groups including Anonymous have been critical of New York City police over several cases of violence against unarmed residents.

The union’s website appeared to be functioning well on Monday morning after two days of problems.