A pro-Iran hacker group has claimed responsibility for a DDoS cyberattack against the Spotify music streaming platform on Tuesday, according to a report from the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.
Users reported issues accessing Spotify on Wednesday, according to the report, which cited Downdetector.
Spotify’s support account referred people to a post on the company’s website: “We’ve received some reports mentioning that the app, support site, and the Web Player are slow or not working properly. This is being investigated.”
The hacker group, Islamic Cyber Resistance in Iraq-313 Team, which breached Spotify, wrote that “the hand of revenge will reach the killers of Imam Khamenei.” Writing on Telegram, it said that it “carried out a massive cyber attack targeting Spotify’s main servers, causing a major disruption to the website and completely disabling the application,” according to the McCrary Institute report.
Israelis receive threatening WhatsApp messages, likely from Iranian hackers
Meanwhile, on Monday, Israelis throughout the country received threatening WhatsApp text messages. The messages were sent from business accounts that appeared legitimate, such as those for a cake shop or other establishments. However, they were actually sent by hackers who had taken control of existing accounts or created fake ones.
The National Cyber Directorate was briefed on the details and is examining the source of the messages, as the pattern of activity aligns with the Iranian hacker group Handala. It typically combines cyberattacks with psychological warfare, targeting citizens to undermine their sense of personal security.
The message was written in English and included direct political and military references. It read, “Netanyahu, leader of the Epstein cult, is trying to maintain his position of authority by committing another act of reckless foolishness. This is a warning to you, the Jewish residents of the occupied territories: Prepare for a barrage of Sayyid Majid missiles if you do not put an end to this foolishness. You will soon be spending weeks in your shelters, so stock up now. Hack Handala.”
Hezbollah, Iranian hacktivists publish target list of IDF Egoz veterans as 'senior officers'
On Sunday, a target list of a few dozen IDF Egoz commando unit veterans and reservists was published by the Iranian regime-backed hacktivist group Handala, which claimed that they had exposed the identities of 60 senior officers.
Handala wrote on its website that the commandos would now become targets for the “resistance’s shadows.”
While the hacktivist group claimed they had exposed 60 senior Egoz officers, the 48 men they presented appeared to be veterans and reservists.
Many had openly advertised their past affiliation with Egoz on social media. According to their LinkedIn profiles, they did not serve beyond their mandatory service and now have established careers outside of the military.
The most senior person on the Handala list was a non-commissioned officer.
Dr. Itay Gal and Michael Starr contributed to this report.