From Clicks to Chaos: The Rise of Crowd-Sourced Cyber Attacks 

The Rise of Crowd-Sourced Cyber Attacks  

This week, the threat actor group Anonymous Global (AnonGlobal) has introduced a new website designed for user engagement in attacks directed at Israel. Despite the site’s current inaccessibility, the group already claims already facilitated attacks resulting in the takedown of three Israeli websites.  

This innovative approach marks a departure from traditional threat actor tactics, aiming to involve ordinary individuals in their attacks. This shift in strategy may foreshadow future instances of similar methods, potentially increasing risks for Israeli organizations. 

DDoS Attacks by AnonGlobal

The threat actor group AnonGlobal has initiated a new strategy, urging individuals sympathetic to the cause of attacking Israel to utilize their computer capabilities in support of these attacks. This involves employing DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, which flood websites with an overwhelming number of requests, ultimately causing them to crash.  

By harnessing the collective power of individual computers, the group is effectively creating a network of bots and utilizing computing resources that would otherwise be unavailable to them. They’ve designed a user-friendly website allowing anyone to participate in these DDoS attacks, even those without technical expertise. The process is automated, requiring users to simply access the website, click a few buttons, and the attack occurs without further action on their part. 

Guerrilla Warfare Tactics

This isn’t the first instance of hacktivists using such methods during conflict situations. Similar tactics were employed during the “Iron Swords” conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as during the Russia-Ukraine war. Multiple websites were established during the Russia-Ukraine conflict to coordinate and execute DDoS attacks against Russian institutions in real-time.  

Just as guerrilla warfare tactics emerged in the physical realm during the Ukrainian conflict, the cyber domain reflects a similar trend. Various Ukrainian entities created Telegram channels to enlist individuals globally in cyber warfare efforts supporting Ukraine. These groups encourage members to execute DDoS attacks on Russian targets under guidance and with provided tools from administrators. 

This trend offers an avenue for individuals previously uninvolved in cyber-attacks, potentially posing a heightened risk to targeted organizations. While some instances reveal a lack of capability within certain groups, compelling them to seek assistance from individuals, in other cases, this approach serves as a means to garner more supporters who align with their agenda. By engaging individuals, these threat actor groups foster a sense of inclusion and belonging, portraying participants as integral parts of their attacks and the broader threat actor community.  

Additionally, this strategy allows these groups to leverage private resources of individuals sympathetic to their cause, further enhancing their capabilities. Such a trend not only expands the pool of potential attackers but also intertwines personal motivations with the objectives of these threat actor groups. 

Cyberint will be monitoring this developing trend closely and will release updates as new developments emerge. 

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