Though a confidential alert by the US Department of Homeland Security is asking government websites prepare for an impending round of hacking and website attacks announced as the #OpUSA campaign, officials say the threats are likely a publicity stunt.
Though it remains to be seen to what degree the Anonymous-affiliated “N4m3le55 cr3w“ group will be able to mount a widespread threat to American websites, a DHS alert obtained by prominent online security reporter Brian Krebs suggests that the government is taking the threat seriously.
Already the #OpUSA campaign seems to have caused some activity on Monday, though the main event is scheduled for Tuesday May 7. Claims by a group calling itself “X-Blackerz Inc” claimed to have penetrated “100 US websites” while an anonymous user via Pastebin appeared to have posted a database of logins and passwords belonging to the Honolulu Police Department.
According to Analysis Intelligence, #OpUSA is comprised of “self-proclaimed online freedom fighters” such as a collective calling itself the “ZCompany Hacking Crew.” In his own analysis, Krebs, the tech security reporter, posited that, should the May 7 action include the participation of Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters (which claims ties with Palestinian political party Hamas) then the disruption could be far more serious.
Rodney Joffe, a senior vice president with the US security and intelligence firm Neustar believes that “all bets are off” if the Qassam Cyber Fighters join the fray, Krebs reported. The group has been held responsible for a series of high-profile breaches of US financial institutions in response to the notorious Innocence of Muslims film promoted by Koran-burning American pastor Terry Jones.
Though there is widespread speculation as to the exact origins of the Qassam Cyber Fighters, since December of 2012 the group has successfully disrupted the websites of JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and the New York Stock Exchange.
“I think we learned our lesson with the al-Qassam Cyber Fighters,” Joffe told Krebs via his news blog, KrebsOnSecurity. “The damage they’re capable of doing may be out of proportion with their skills, but that’s been going on for seven months and it’s been brutally damaging,” he added.
...................................
No comments:
Post a Comment