Russian-Linked Hackers Reportedly Target Israeli Government And Media Amid Hamas Conflict

The Israeli government and media outlets are facing an increased wave of cyberattacks, purportedly by hacker groups with Russian links, in the wake of a recent conflict with Hamas, the Palestinian military organization.

What Happened: According to a Bloomberg report, a Russian hacker group called Killnet has pledged to unleash Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on all Israeli governmental systems. The group later announced the successful disruption of an Israeli government website and the Shin Bet security agency’s site for a brief period on Sunday.

Anonymous Sudan, a hacking group suspected of being a Russian operative, also expressed its support for the “Palestinian resistance” and took responsibility for the temporary disruption of the Jerusalem Post’s website on Monday.

“It is clear that other Russian hacktivists are also choosing sides and actively support Hamas in their war against Israel,” said Mattias Wåhlén, a cybersecurity firm Truesec AB threat intelligence expert.

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Although several hacking groups claimed to have attacked Israeli infrastructure, including power plant websites and missile alert systems, many of these claims have not been independently confirmed.

Why It Matters: The cyberattacks coincide with a rise in international critique of the Israel-Hamas conflict. For instance, Harvard University faced backlash from prominent alums, including Senator Ted Cruz, over the perceived lack of administrative response to student organizations condemning Israel.

Adding to the controversy, Mary Trump, niece of former President Donald Trump, accused her uncle of potentially leaking Israel’s national security information to Hamas.

Despite the increased cyberattacks, Gil Messing, Chief of Staff for Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., stated that the attacks had little impact so far. Rob Joyce, the National Security Agency’s Director of Cybersecurity, acknowledged that there hasn’t been a significant cyber component to the conflict yet but warned of possible important events in the future.

Israel. Image Via Shutterstock

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