The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a new alert warning that Russian state-aligned hacktivist groups continue to target UK organisations with disruptive cyber attacks, the organisation stated.
In the warning, published on 19 January 2026, the NCSC said local government bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure remain among the primary targets, with attackers seeking to disrupt networks and disable websites through denial of service (DoS) activity. The NCSC said organisations are being urged to review their cyber defences and improve resilience by ensuring they are prepared to respond effectively to DoS attacks.
While such attacks are often low in sophistication, the NCSC stated they can still have a significant impact, potentially disrupting entire systems and requiring substantial time and resources to investigate, mitigate and recover. The alert said the activity is driven largely by ideology linked to perceived Western support for Ukraine rather than financial motivation. The NCSC stated the groups operate outside direct state control but remain aligned with Russian interests. The NCSC also referenced a December 2025 advisory co-signed with international partners, which highlighted pro-Russian hacktivist groups targeting government and private sector organisations across NATO member states and other European countries.
NCSC Director of National Resilience Jonathon Ellison said the disruption caused by DoS attacks can affect essential public services. “We continue to see Russian-aligned hacktivist groups targeting UK organisations and although denial-of-service attacks may be technically simple, their impact can be significant,” he said. “By overwhelming important websites and online systems, these attacks can prevent people from accessing the essential services they depend on every day.”
“All organisations, especially those identified in today’s alert, are urged to act now by reviewing and implementing the NCSC’s freely available guidance to protect against DoS attacks and other cyber threats.”
The NCSC said it has previously warned of malicious cyber activity linked to Russia, including an alert issued in 2023 highlighting the risk posed by state-aligned adversaries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Organisations were also encouraged to engage with the NCSC’s heightened cyber threat collection, the organisation stated.
