Several Web sites in Sweden, including the nation’s central bank and two government affiliates, were hit with attacks this week, supposedly in retaliation for a police raid on an Internet company tied to The Pirate Bay, the world’s largest file sharing site.
That site also was offline until Wednesday, but its officials say it was due to broken Power Distribution Unit.
The group Anonymous warned in a YouTube video that there would be repercussions after a two-day raid earlier this week on Web host PeriQ Networks AB in Solna, just outside Stockholm.
“We see this as a crime against freedom of information,” a narrator said. “Swedish goverment will know our capabilities and what we want.”
Sweden’s Courts Administration site was hit by a DDoS attack, while a “foul message” was left at the National Board of Health and Welfare’s web site. As of Wednesday evening, it was business as usual at both sites.
Pirate Bay’s four Swedish founders have all been convicted of illegal file sharing, but the Web site continues to operate and is now registered in the Seychelles. Two of The Pirate Bay’s founders started PRQ.
Swedish police reportedly took three PRQ servers used by Tankafetast.com and Tankafett.com. A third server hosting Appbucket.net had been deactivated last spring after its owners failed to pay their bills.
“We are currently working on getting all services up and running after the police have been on a visit,” the company posted earlier today. “Due to their working methods the downtime have been longer that needed (atleast 24 hours longer), we are sorry for the trouble it may have caused innocent customers due to their working methods. No information other the one requested have been given out.”
Swedish prosecutors also released a statement related to the raid.
“The reason was ongoing investigations concerning suspected copyright infringements. Several servers were seized at the premises. No one at the internet company is suspected of a crime.”
