In the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict, a new battlefield has emerged between hacker groups. Israel’s critical infrastructures have been subjected to relentless cyberattacks, prompting organizations to reinforce their digital defenses. In the most recent update, a notorious hacking group, Cyb3r Drag0nz, successfully targeted and brought down Israel’s Airforce website.
Currently, attempting to access the website presents a 403 ERROR, indicating that while the server acknowledges the request, it refuses authorization. This is a common response when security measures have been heightened following a cyber attack.
Additionally, a notification greets visitors explaining, “The Amazon CloudFront distribution is configured to block access from your country.” This suggests a deliberate action to restrict access, potentially due to concerns about further cyber threats.
Palestine-Israel conflict: Physical and Digital Warfare Continues
Amidst this Palestine-Israel conflict, numerous Israeli high-tech experts have temporarily shifted their focus from the private sector to aid in locating individuals missing after the recent attack orchestrated by the Palestinian militant group, Hamas. This assault saw Hamas operatives breach heavily fortified Israeli security measures, infiltrating towns and kibbutzes, resulting in tragic casualties and numerous captives.
In response, Israel has launched sustained airstrikes on Gaza, resulting in Palestinian casualties, while simultaneously preparing for a ground offensive. A group led by Karine Nahon has mobilized volunteers to analyze various forms of footage, including videos posted online by Hamas. Their goal is to identify and locate the over 1,000 individuals still unaccounted for, providing critical information to Israeli authorities.
However, the Palestine-Israel conflict doesn’t stop here because the war between the two nations has already taken a digital dimension, with cyber attacks predominantly originating from Russia-aligned groups. These groups are shifting their focus towards nations supporting Israel, anticipating protests in solidarity with the nation.
Independent hacking groups with ideological motives, particularly Russian-affiliated groups, have taken the initiative. They are believed to be targeting Australia and New Zealand with DDOS attacks, timed to coincide with anti-Israel protests. Sympathetic hackers aligned with Hamas are striving to make the Israel-Gaza conflict the next battleground in cyber warfare.
Palestine-Israel conflict: State-Backed Hackers jumping into the wildfire
Groups linked to nations such as Iran and Russia have orchestrated a series of cyber attacks and online campaigns against Israel. Some of these may have occurred in the lead-up to the Oct. 7 strike by Hamas. The full extent and impact of these cyberattacks remain uncertain.
Previously, the Palestine-Israel war was discussed in a report by threat intelligence service FalconFeeds. The Cyber Express reported the participation from over 100 distinct hacker groups, with 20 leaning towards Israel, 77 in support of Palestine, and three remaining neutral.
Those aligned with Palestine seem to have ties to countries like Iran and Russia, two key players in cyber attacks against Israel. Additionally, a small number of groups are suspected to be based in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Israeli government websites have borne the brunt of these cyber attacks, with one group managing to disable 20 sites in a single day. The Jerusalem Post, an Israeli daily news broadcaster, also fell victim when its website crashed. It was later restored, but users continued to experience intermittent access issues.
Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.