Hacktivist Groups Multiply Amidst Middle East Conflict

Hacktivist surge amid Israel-Palestine conflict

Amidst the recent escalation of hostilities between Palestine and Israel, hacktivist groups have seen a surge in activity throughout the Middle East. The conflict was ignited by a series of events, including a Hamas attack on a music festival and abductions and killings across Israeli towns following a surprise incursion from the Gaza border on October 7.

Escalation fueled by deadly attacks and abductions

Reports indicate that approximately 700 Israelis were killed, with over 150 taken hostage. In retaliation, Israel launched counterattacks on the densely populated Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 511 casualties, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Russian-linked Anonymous Sudan and Killnet involved

A notable development is the involvement of 15 known cybercriminal, ransomware, and hacktivist groups targeting institutions in both Israel and Palestine, along with their supporters. Among these groups are Anonymous Sudan and Killnet, both suspected to have Russian connections.

Anonymous Sudan, formed earlier this year, has claimed responsibility for major attacks on Microsoft, X (formerly Twitter), and the German foreign intelligence service. Experts suggest it may be a front for Russian state-sponsored cyberattacks.

Killnet, believed to be Russia-based or aligned, is known for launching distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. They have declared their intent to disrupt targets in Israel.

Indian hacktivist groups also join the fray

Meanwhile, other groups from India, such as Team Insane, Mysterious Team Bangladesh, and Indian Cyber Force, have also announced their intention to disrupt targets in Israel, despite India's government support for Israel in the conflict.

New groups, including Libyan Ghosts, have emerged, focusing on the digital defacement of smaller Israeli websites.

Some hacktivist groups are targeting supporters of Israel, such as the pro-Palestine group Sylhet Gang, which has announced its intention to target Ukraine, and others claiming attacks on an Indian government web server.

While hacktivist attacks have been widespread, their real-world impact has generally been minimal. Most incidents are mitigated within a few hours, though some, like the Jerusalem Post, have experienced extended outages.

Telecoms sector disruptions noted in the region

The telecoms sector has seen substantial disruption due to both physical and cyber conflict, with ISPs in Israel and Palestine reporting outages. NetBlocks noted a drop in Tel Aviv's internet connectivity following a missile strike.
Hacktivist group Threatsec claimed a breach on Palestinian ISP Alfanet but their website remains functional and responsive.

ICRC publishes rules for hacktivism amid rising activity

These developments come shortly after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published rules for engaging in hacktivism and disruptive cyberattacks. The ICRC aims to ensure the safety of civilians and minimize civilian impact in cyber warfare. While some groups, like Killnet, initially rejected these rules, there has been a shift in their stance.

The IT Army of Ukraine, on the other hand, immediately agreed to abide by the ICRC's rules but highlighted concerns about giving a tactical advantage to groups that choose not to follow them.