Cyberwarfare is in full swing, so we are increasingly witnessing signs of cyberattack campaigns against nation states. Information security awareness specialists report that the information of hundreds of Israeli citizens has been exposed by JEArmy, a hacker group popularly known as the ‘Islamic Anonymous’.
“Hundreds of Israelis had their personal information – including ID numbers, credit card details and cellphone numbers – released online by Anonymous pro-Palestinian group that took part in the annual #Opisrael hacking effort”, mentioned local media through Twitter.
The compromised information includes personal details such as citizen identification numbers, payment card details, telephone numbers, and more. According to previous reports, those responsible for the attack are a pro-Palestinian group that actively participates in #Opisrael each year.
What is #Opisrael?
According to information security awareness experts, #Opisrael is an annual hacking initiative whose main objective is to wreak havoc on Israeli IT infrastructure, also affecting citizens. Regarding the data exposed during this incident, cybersecurity firm Insights states that the information was taken from outdated databases.
Moreover, an informant claims that Israeli national security officials believe that this specific attack could be a form of retaliation against the intention to annex 30% of the West Bank territory to Israel in the coming months. This plan is driven by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Minister Benny Gantz.
“In fact, we also believe that this hypothesis is likely,” says Ariel Einhorn, Insight’s chief intelligence officer, who has been investigating the incident since its detection. “As the idea of annexation grows in public opinion, we could experience additional hacking attacks,” the information security awareness specialist added.
Just a few days ago it was revealed that an Iranian cyberattack, allegedly in April, caused a severe impact on Israel’s water and sewerage systems. While the attack was detected and treated quickly, the potential harm to civilians, if, for example, chemicals added to drinking water were altered, it had been significant.
For further reports on vulnerabilities, exploits, malware variants and computer security risks, it is recommended to enter the website of the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS), as well as the official platforms of technology companies.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
