'We broke into IDF, hold quarter of a million documents,' hacker group Anonymous claims

Pro-Palestinian hackers allege that after penetrating the Justice Ministry, they now possess 20 gigabytes of data, including nearly a quarter-million documents related to the Israeli military.

The masked face of international hacker Anonymous (photo credit: WIKIMEDIA)
The masked face of international hacker Anonymous
(photo credit: WIKIMEDIA)

The hacker organization Anonymous issued a statement on Friday stating that it has hacked into the IDF and will reportedly showcase purported military documents. It also claims control over 20 gigabytes of data, encompassing over 233,000 documents, including PDFs, Word files, PowerPoint presentations, and more.

The hackers' accompanying video displays excerpts from PowerPoint presentations featuring IDF personnel, with slides bearing logos of General Staff departments. The authenticity of the documents in the video remains uncertain.

According to IDF security assessments, the likelihood of an actual breach is minimal, suggesting a possible "psychological warfare" tactic by the hackers. The IDF's computer system is tightly secured and classified at various levels. If a breach did occur, it's improbable that access extended directly to IDF computers; instead, files may have been obtained from civilian computers, potentially breaching regulations.

Claiming to hack the Justice Ministry

Earlier this month, an anonymous source claimed to have hacked the Justice Ministry, acquiring 8 million files totaling 300 gigabytes, including personal details of listed individuals. Some of the hackers, operating under the Anonymous banner since 2003, reiterated their vow to "destroy the Zionists."

At the start of the month, the national cyber array warned of an anticipated uptick in attacks following the end of Ramadan and escalating incitement against Israel and its online presence. Concerns include potential website breaches, digital system infiltrations (including smart homes), leaks of classified documents, exposure of personal data, deployment of tracking software, and intrusion attempts.

Picture of Anonymous hacker from social media‏ (credit: SOCIAL MEDIA)
Picture of Anonymous hacker from social media‏ (credit: SOCIAL MEDIA)

The Israeli public was urged to avoid clicking on suspicious links and to report any indications of cyberattacks.