Dark Storm hacker group released a worrying public statement, threatening NATO, the US, Israel, and the UAE with a massive DDoS operation. According to the hackers, they plan on hitting the country’s infrastructure, hospitals, governmental agencies, and more.
The Hamas-Israel conflict has become the cause of many controversial statements and movements. The world is divided on the subject and with the number of casualties rising by the day, the spirits are equally as hot.
The fact that cybercriminal organizations have become involved in the conflict is no surprise. Dark Storm isn’t the first or the last to do so. Numerous other politically driven cybercriminal actors have paved the way for this.
Some of the most prominent DDoS organizations that have conducted massive hacking operations against Israel and its allies include:
The total list of potential cybercriminal actors includes over 35 names, both famous and less so. While the common thread between them is their shared hatred of Israel, there’s another one that some have pointed out: the Russian affiliations.
Dark Storm is a self-proclaimed pro-Palestinian group with a shady history and even more nefarious motivations. Little is known about the organization itself, and the things we do know are unverified and hypothetical. But one piece of information stands out.
It appears that Dark Storm has pro-Russian affiliations and drives. Part of that comes from the group’s predilection for collaborating with pro-Russian organizations. Another part comes from the fact that Dark Storm always attacks Russia’s enemies.
But it never attacks Russia’s allies or Russia itself.
Then there’s the unknown regarding the organization’s overall motivation itself. The group advertised itself as a politically driven machine. But new evidence suggests that Dark Storm also operates as a RaaS (ransomware-as-a-service).
Furthermore, the hackers also advertise stolen data on the dark web, where they have different selling prices depending on the type and amount of data. This forges the profile of a for-profit cybercriminal group.
This suggests that the hackers may not be funded by any major state or private corporation. Instead, they may be self-sufficient, looking for any way to increase their revenue and power.
As for now, Dark Storm qualifies as one of the most dangerous and potent cybercriminal gangs with an invested interest in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war. They’ve also shown a clear interest in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, with them conducting several operations against Ukraine.
This suggests that Dark Storm may be a cyber-hacker with global reach and interests.
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