Hackers Target Israel in a New Cyberattack Operation

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

Under OpIsrael, anti-Israel hacker groups coordinate cyber attacks against Israel each April. New cyber attacks are ready to be launched against Israel, under the name OpsBedil, which has ties to the hacker group DragonForce Malaysia.

But unlike Operation Israel, OpsBedil is a reaction to clashes and escalation in Israel over the past few weeks, a report by security company Radware says. The hacking campaign began on April 11 when pro-Palestinian hacker group DragonForce Malaysia and affiliates announced a series of denial-of-service attacks against Israeli organizations. The report also states that Israeli organizations or those closely associated with Israel are at high risk of an attack, especially when using unprotected assets.

OpsBedil’s efforts are expected to be focused on preparing for Jerusalem Day and continuing attacks through July. A mass outsourcing campaign will prioritize quantity over quality in disseminating information and propaganda, deface websites, leak data, and conduct denial-of-service attacks. This generation of Israeli hackers uses the video app TikTok to recruit more hackers, share details and coordinate attacks, while over 13,000 people are already registered on the website and forum of this hacker group.

They use publicly available and unsophisticated attack tools, including Hammer and DDoS-Ripper. Cybernews.com reports that the expected attacks will include data dumps, DDoS attacks, and website defacements, along with emails containing malicious files and anti-semitic SMS and WhatsApp messages targeted directly at Israeli citizens.

In cooperation with parallel international groups and bodies, the Israeli National Cyber Directorate is prepared for the upcoming cyberattacks against Israel, as every year, as well as implementing preventive measures. In the past, there was an attempt to prevent online service, hacking databases, infecting websites, etc. This year there are likely to be similar attempts.