Hacktivists add digital front to Israel-Hamas war
In the days since Hamas launched its attack on Israel, a hundred hacker groups have joined the fray. And their targets reach far beyond the borders of Israel or the Palestinian territories.
Activists hoping to aid a war effort in the 20th century almost always had to physically relocate to somewhere close to the battlefield. Not so in the 21st century. In the modern age, ideologues with a computer and an internet connection can make their presence felt from thousands of kilometres away.
As much has been demonstrated in the five days since Hamas launched an attack on Israel, which responded by declaring war. As rockets were being launched and skirmishes over territory began, grassroots hackers from Russia were taking down Israeli sites and attacking infrastructure.
Over 100 groups have launched or attempted cyberattacks as part of the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to threat monitor Falcon Feeds. They came from within Israel and the Palestinian territories but also countries such as Indonesia and Pakistan. The majority, 77 of them, were pro-Hamas.
Their cyberattacks were not limited to the conflict zone. Hacktivist groups have sought to disrupt services in countries around the world, in countries like India and France. Australian firms have a "real chance" of being targeted by pro-Palestinian hackers due to the government's support of Israel, according to Melbourne-based CyberCX.
