A pro-Syrian hacking group breached Israeli and American websites and released the personal information of over 165,000 Israelis.
The biggest breach, part of an organized cyberattack on numerous websites over the past few days, was in a website that offered web hosting services. The breached site provided all information on its users, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses and passwords.
More than 40,000 of the compromised records were reviewed and verified as real by Internet security firm Maglan. Some of those whose information was released, however, told Israel Hayom that the passwords leaked were not up to date and had been changed a long time ago.
The attacks bear the marks of pro-Syrian hackers from Spain, Canada and Brazil. Aside from placing pro-Syrian slogans on the websites, the hackers repeatedly tried to access and damage important databases. On some of the sites, the hackers left their signature inside the website's code and not on the home page, which let them slip by unnoticed after stealing the information.
For example, browsing one of the compromised websites, Yamit 2000, would not prompt suspicion for the casual user as the hackers left no foot print on the actual pages. Deep inside the website's code however, hacker group AnonGhost left a note threatening a massive attack on September 11.
Website hashraa.co.il had its entire members' club database hacked and its information leaked onto the internet. Labor MK Avishai Braverman's website was also infiltrated.
Maglan's cyber intelligence systems intercepted dozens of encrypted communiques between the hackers. According to Maglan CEO Shai Blitzblau, the messages intercepted included attack details and methods, some of which he said were quite advanced.