In this space, I’ve written often about Israeli cyberwar attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and personnel. Now, I have a story to tell about Israel’s cyberwar activists writ small. Yesterday, this site was attacked by an Israeli hacker. He hijacked the site’s main page and displayed pro-Israel slogans there. He also disrupted access to the site so that it was largely down for most visitors.
As far as this individual is concerned, it was all a good bit of hacking fun. When it’s over you move on to your next prank. Well, not so fast. What this fellow didn’t bargain for is that my work on Israel’s cyberwar capabilities brought me into contact with the good folks as Kaspersky Labs, who’ve identified most of the malware Israel’s Unit 8200 created in its war on Iran.
When I reported this intrusion, their engineers went to work ferreting out the culprit. They even wrote a nine-page report that identified the hacker by name, his IP and e-mail addresses, his child, his ethnic background, his social media accounts. Further research by others uncovered his home address, phone number and employer.
What I don’t know is why someone would risk all that for a few cyber-kicks. This individual is an example for the rampant nihilism of Israeli cyberwarfare strategy. There is no consideration of repercussions to either victim or perpetrator. The latter appears to think there will be none. But in this case there will. There will be a price to pay for this individual, though he acted as if there would not be. Similarly, Israel will pay a price for its misdeeds though it acts as if what it does comes at no cost.
There is a war going on. A war of words and of cyberterror. A war of ideas and demagoguery. A war between the forces of Israeli triumphalism and democracy. The Israeli far-right are bullies. They believe in free speech for themselves but no one else. They’ll use hacks and cyberwarfare to silence their enemies, who can rot in Hell as far as they’re concerned. This is the ugly face of the ultra-nationalist right. This is Israel’s future writ small.
Kaspersky is now helping me fix the damage. Once it is fixed, I will be exposing this individual to the opprobrium he so richly deserves. While I usually find it difficult to interest the MSM in the stories I originate, this will be different. The media will be all over this one. So to my hacker, while you’ve caused me a day’s worth of aggravation, I’m going to take advantage of your little charade to tell the world everything there is about you, your hack, and the nasty pro-Israel ideology you represent. We may be the still small voice. But how we can roar when given half a chance. And my hacker has given me a great opportunity.
Stay tuned, it’ll be fun.
Thanks to all my readers who reported to me what was going on and who have had patience through this mess. The only consolation will be in enjoying the result of exposing him and watching as he twists in the wind.
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Hi Richard
All day yesterday your blog was blocked and still today, noon European time, your blog is named “Israel Rules” ;-)) when googling though access is now back.
Welcome back.
If your server is in the USA, and the valleyspeak error messages suggest that it might be, then the hacker committed a Federal offence, actually a more malicious one than that which the FBI have spent a decade seeking the extradition of Gary McKinnon over. I think it would be responsible to consult the FBI before potentially wasting the evidence by making it public.
If (by chance) the hacker is in the UK, he’s committed an offence here, too. You can lodge a formal complaint with his local force, if you have an address. I think North Ilford comes under Essex Constabulary, for example.
Richard–What are the chances of getting criminal charges filed against the hacker?
WAS DOWN YESTERDAY..OBVIOUSLY UP RIGHT NOW.
but to another point, i am wondering if my comments are being posted since all i see when coming back after a post is that my comment is “awaiting moderation”.
i sure would appreciate knowing if my comments are being seen.”
thanks.
It can take a while for the moderation to happen, especially if you are in a very different time zone from the moderator, who is only human.
right on all points, richard; an good to have you back in the driver’s seat.
Big Up Richard. Go get ‘im.
These creeps expect impunity and anonymity. No longer.
As Carl says, it’s good to see you back!
I’m straining at the leash and waiting with baited breath!
Spectacular!
Next I want to know it was behind the scenes at the DNC who ordered Mayor Villaraigosa to call the voice vote to declare Jersualem undivided ‘passed’ in the affirmative…
Israel is all about giving itself unlimited bites at the apple – no responsibility and no accountability – dare we say cultural narcissism?
They are like the terrorists who they are so fond of saying only have to be right ‘once’. Israel gets unlimited bites to be ‘right’ and then they take the next inch of their mile
i tried to tell you before richard the stasis in communist east germany called it the “english disease” first aussie dave and now this eyelidless reptile
Well done, Richard! Highly entertaining. Sharing, and looking forward to more.
Now 11:30 p.m. eastern time, observe the same ‘Israel rules’ when googling for the site. What a football hooligan choice for a title the hacker used. Figures.
I don’t know what is really “pro-Israel” in the ideology of the hacker. What good has he done to the Israeli cause, tell me? This kind of bullying – here and in many other places on the web – will turn against us (Israel) in the end.
Anyway, good to see you back, and looking forward to the Fun!
For the benefit of anyone else who might be subjected to a similar attack, I encourage you to detail
(a) the original vulnerability of the Tikun Olam site that enabled the hacker to vandalize it, and
(b) the steps you are taking to eliminate that vulnerability.
I will do this eventually. I need to do more research and explore other options available to me concerning the hack.
Richard.
You call this attack part of an ‘Israeli cyberwarfare campaign’, but this label is unfair until you present some evidence that this hacker who brought down your website is connected with the government of Israel.
Until than, he’s just a wanker who happens to be a citizen of Israel.
You didn’t understand. I didn’t say that the hack was sponsored by the government. I said that the right wing government has created a political climate in the country which emboldens its supporters to engage in cyberattacks & physical mayhem against Palestinian citizens of Israel & all manner of thuggery. Israel, unfortunately, is becoming a country of thugs. There are poor individual shlubs who beat up Arabs, there are hackers who look for target opportunities to beat up bloggers virtually, then there are powerful leaders who seek opportunities to pummel other countries into rubble. It’s all of a piece.
That’s a pretty broad brush you are using to “paint” Israel as a country of thugs.
What that brush whitewahses out are the majority of Israelis who are AGAINST the thuggish attacks on these (and other cases) Palestinians… including the government who has condemned the actions as well as brought criminal charges against the cowardly, biggoted instigators. These were stupid kids mimicking the worst elements of a society.
There are a lot more kids and adults who have taken on more humanistic and positive traits and brought them forward in Israel’s society… but that’s perhaps less newsworth to you and they don’t always get the media attention they should get.
As for your site’s cyber attack. Although we don’t see “eye to eye” it’s ashame somebody hacked your stie. This too is a thuggish attempt to squash freedom of speech. I don’t see any merit in it for the hacker who tried this. As somebody else pointed out it is more “anti-Israel” than making a “blow” for whatever cause he/she seems to want to represent.
And I certainly don’t see the greater society as you paint it… as a total, Israeli society is FAR from thuggish image you are trying to peddle here. You pick up on the negative and exclude any positive responses Israelis take against human rights violations, and other thuggish actions.
What childish and nonsensical behavior… just like today’s world leaders.
Someone in Tel Aviv is saying “ouch”.
Please don’t call the attacker “pro-Israel”–you are pro-Israel. Israel’s enemies are the thugs working to turn the country into a banana republic. That said, I’m very glad you’re back.
Right. They’re actually “anti-Israel” in the strict sense of the term given the damage they do to it.
If Israel were meant to exist only for Jews it wouldn’t be ruled by thugs. But because there is no justice associated with the creation of Israel and there continues to be no justice then it’s no surprise that Israel is ruled by the representatives of injustice. Karmic logic.