The Iran-affiliated hacker group "BlackShadow" announced on Friday evening that it had hacked the servers of Israeli internet company Cyberserve. The hackers shuttered the company's servers and threatened to leak data pertaining to hundreds of thousands of users.
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Cyberserve is a web hosting company that provides servers and data storage for companies such as Kan public broadcaster, the Israel Lottery, Birthright, the Dan and Kavim public transportation companies, the Children's Museum in Holon, LGBTQ dating app "Atraf," tour booking company Pegasus, the Israeli Children's Museum, and dozens of other sites.
BlackShadow first surfaced last year, with a massive breach of Israeli insurance company Shirbit and later of KLS Capital. Information from both companies' clients was leaked in the days following the breach.
"Hello again! We have news for you," the group said in a Telegram message. "You probably could not connect to many sites today. Cyberserve and their customers were harmed by us. ... You must be asking – what about the data? As always, we have a lot. If you do not want it to be leaked by us, contact us soon."
While last year's cyberattack included a clear demand for ransom that was increased as time whet by, it is unclear whether the hackers plan to follow the same modus operandi this time.
The fact that the hackers have targeted an LGBTQ dating app raised particular concern among its users, as the hackers have already begun leaking the names of its users. The fear is that the hackers have access to sensitive information and could, in fact, "out" people by making their names public.
The Aguda Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel on Saturday called on the National Cyber Directorate to "urgently act to prevent data leaks," adding that the release of such personal information is "a danger to [the users'] mental health," the Times of Israel reported.
On Saturday, BlackShadow hackers leaked information from Kavim. The bus company issued a statement saying the company was aware of the breach and has alerted the Transport Ministry and the National Cyber Directorate, and has "also hired external professionals in the field to complete a comprehensive, professional and independent investigation into the incident."
The National Cyber Directorate said on Saturday that it had "warned Cyberserve multiple times" over the past year that it was vulnerable to such attacks.
It further advised Israelis whose personal data was comprised to change their passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and remain vigilant for suspicious emails and messages.
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