Hackers from group that targeted the 'Post' on Oct. 7 indicted by United States

Two Sudanese nationals were charged in the United States for allegedly operating and controlling Anonymous Sudan, a group responsible for cyber attacks on the Jerusalem Post and Israel’s red alert system, the United States Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California confirmed on Wednesday. 

Sudanese national Ahmed Salah Yousif Omer, 22, and his brother Alaa Salah Yusuuf Omer, 27,  were charged with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers. Ahmed Salah was also charged with three counts of damaging protected computers.

The unsealed documents revealed that since 2023 Anonymous Sudan’s DDoS tool was used to launch over 35,000 DDoS attacks, many of which were in the United States and Israel. Attacks on US sites alone reportedly caused damages of $10 million.

Our website is currently down. We are actively working to resolve the issue and will be back online soon. https://t.co/7jO7Kl0xl0

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) October 9, 2023

Zvika Klein, the current Editor in Chief of The Jerusalem Post, commented on the significance of the indictment. 

"Anti-Israeli forces have long viewed The Jerusalem Post, a 92-year-old Israeli publication, as a global symbol. As a result, at the onset of the October 7 Israel-Hamas war, the Post faced relentless cyberattacks from malicious actors who see freedom of speech as a threat to be eliminated,” Klein said. “The Post endured multiple assaults but remains steadfast and secure. 

“We commend the United States for identifying these cyber terrorists and taking action."

In March 2024, the US Attorney’s Office and FBI, under the authority granted by court-authorized seizure warrants, seized and disabled Anonymous Sudan’s powerful DDoS tool, which the group had used to conduct the cyberattacks.

Anonymous Sudan's other targets 

In addition to attacking the Jerusalem Post and Israel’s red alert system, Anonymous Sudan targeted sites in the States - notably the emergency department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a hospital with Jewish roots in Los Angeles.  

The attack on the medical center left patients forced to attend other emergency rooms, where they waited for medical attention for eight hours, the office reported. 

“Anonymous Sudan sought to maximize havoc and destruction against governments and businesses around the world by perpetrating tens of thousands of cyberattacks,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.  “This group’s attacks were callous and brazen—the defendants went so far as to attack hospitals providing emergency and urgent care to patients.  My office is committed to safeguarding our nation’s infrastructure and the people who use it, and we will hold cyber criminals accountable for the grave harm they cause.”

The brothers had claimed the attack was in response to Israel bombing hospitals in Gaza, according to the New York Times. 

“Bomb our hospitals in Gaza, we shut down yours too, eye for eye,” they had reportedly written on the group’s Telegram.

Hours after Hamas invaded southern Israel, and massacred over 1200 people, applications designed to warn civilians of incoming rockets or terrorist infiltrations were downed by the group. These attacks occurred before Israel launched any operations in Gaza to retrieve the hostages abducted during the attack - despite the group’s later claim that their cyber attacks were retaliatory.

“We are currently targeting some critical endpoints in the alert systems of Israel,” Anonymous Sudan reportedly posted to its Telegram channel on Oct. 7. “Glory to the Palestinian Resistance, we are with you.”

While the Times reported that there had been no indication that the hacking group had coordinated with Hamas, the first cyberattack came only 30 minutes after Hamas breached Israel’s border. 

The list of the group’s victims includes the US Justice Department, the US Defense Department, the FBI, the State Department, and government websites for the state of Alabama.

“The FBI’s seizure of this powerful DDoS tool successfully disabled the attack platform that caused widespread damage and disruptions to critical infrastructure and networks around the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “With the FBI’s mix of unique authorities, capabilities, and partnerships, there is no limit to our reach when it comes to combating all forms of cybercrime and defending global cybersecurity.”

“These charges and the results of this investigation, made possible through law enforcement and private sector partnerships, have an immeasurable impact on the security of networks in the US and of its allies, and demonstrates the resolve of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) to safeguard the Department of Defense from evolving cyber threats,” said Kenneth A. DeChellis, DCIS Cyber Field Office, Special Agent in Charge. “Cybercriminals need to understand that if they target America’s warfighters, they will face consequences.”

If convicted, Ahmed Salah would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, and Alaa Salah would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The pair are currently in police custody in an unspecified country, according to the Times.