Anonymous Launches Massive Cyber Assault On Israel
Anonymous has launched a massive cyber assault on Israel. While it is not the first time the hacktivist collective has launched #OpIsrael, it appears to be the largest operation so far.
The operation is in protest over what the group feels is Israel’s unfair treatment of Palestinians. In their announcement of the impending attack, which was posted on YouTube, Anonymous threatened to “disrupt and erase Israel from cyberspace.”
As with their previous operations, the hacktivist collective took to Twitter to report their activities, which so far have included taking down several Israeli websites.
Anonymous announced on YouTube that OpIsrael would begin on April 7 when “elite cyber-squadrons from around the world have decided to unite in solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israel as one entity.” The group also addressed the Israeli government, saying:
“You have NOT stopped your endless human right violations. You have NOT stopped illegal settlements. You have NOT respected the ceasefire. You have shown that you do NOT respect international law.”
Nir Gaist, chief technology officer and founder of the Nyotron computer security firm, expected the menacing messages from Anonymous would not pose a threat to Israel’s national security. Gaist, who assists with state security and economic agencies to protect themselves against online threats, acknowledged, “A threat exists, there is no doubt about it.”
He added, however, that “the significance of the threat is somewhat limited. The damage will likely be confined to the realm of image.”
In explaining their reason for the massive cyber assault on Israel, Anonymous asserted that Israel’s government has violated treaties, mistreated its own citizens, attacked its neighbors, threatened to shut down the internet on the Gaza Strip, and ignored “repeated warnings” about human rights abuses.
Deputy Information Security Officer Ofir Cohen added of the impending OpIsrael assault, “The estimations are that [the cyber-attacks] will reach an unusual level that we have never seen before.”
Do you think Anonymous is right to launch a cyber assault on Israel?
[Image via Rob Kints / Shutterstock.com]
