Cybersecurity experts are warning of a significant increase in hacktivist activities planning to attack Israeli targets ahead of April 7. According to the latest report from Radware's Research Center, researchers have observed extensive preparation ahead of the annual OpIsrael and OpJerusalem campaigns.
The campaign, which began in 2013 by the hacktivist group Anonymous, occurs annually with the aim of attacking Israeli websites and online services. This year, analysis of social media traffic indicates that approximately 48 different hacktivist groups are coordinating attacks.
"We are witnessing a significant increase in hacktivist activity targeting Israel in recent weeks," Ron Meyran, VP of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Radware noted. "Our analysis shows a clear pattern of early preparation, with unprecedented collaboration between groups with different motivations. Unlike previous years, we now see more advanced technical capabilities that can bypass traditional defenses. Additionally, we have identified a clear increase in the use of hashtags such as #OpIsrael and #FreePalestine in Telegram channels of known attack groups starting from March 20. This pattern is similar to activity observed in previous years in the period leading up to April 7."
Unlike previous years, the OpIsrael attack campaign emphasizes that this year's activity will extend beyond Israel itself: Hacktivists are interested in bringing to the forefront entities and countries that support Israel, such as the US and European countries, which are or have been historically involved in shaping the geopolitical reality of the region. Among the expected threats: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks aimed at paralyzing government services provided to the public or leading businesses in the economy, website defacement, attempts to steal business or classified information, and possible damage to critical infrastructure of the State of Israel. The Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) has already issued alerts to organizations in Israel to prepare for possible attacks, especially ahead of Iranian Jerusalem Day beginning on March 28 and the annual campaign on April 7.
Security experts recommend that organizations check and update their defense systems, implement behavior-based detection solutions for rapid identification of anomalies, and develop a response plan for cyber incidents.
