Israeli-Arab Cyber Drama: Israeli Hacker Retaliates for Recent Credit Card Attack
- Posted on January 11, 2012 at 8:04am by
Sharona Schwartz
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An Israeli hacker published the personal information of hundreds of Saudi residents Tuesday night, including credit card information, email addresses and telephone numbers.
This was apparently in retaliation for a similar cyber-attack last week targeting Israelis in which the credit card information of about 20,000 Israelis was posted online by an Arab hacker.
Ynet News reports on the latest development in the cyber-drama:
The list, posted by an Israeli who identified himself as “Omer Cohen,” reveals the personal information – including email addresses, phone numbers and credit card details – mostly of Saudi citizens, but there are also a number of Syrian, Indian, Egyptian and US citizens on the list.
The Israeli hackers said they launched the cyber attack in retaliation for the publication of credit card details belonging to more than 20,000 Israelis by “OxOmar,” a resident of Mexico who claimed to have operated from Saudi Arabia.
The group of hackers said it was not responsible for the publication of the details and that “Omer Cohen,“ who also refers to himself as ”OxOmer,” acted alone.
The Israeli hacker who leaked the details online told Ynet he was a soldier in the IDF’s Intelligence Corps and that he does not anticipate a cyber war between Israeli and Arab hackers.
“Omer Cohen’s” claim to work for Israeli military intelligence could not be verified by The Blaze and apparently has not been verified by other news outlets.
He explained in an interview to Ynet that “Dozens of Israeli websites are attacked every day,” adding that he was sorry if he hurt innocent people and that his goal was simply to “create deterrence.”
It all began last week when a hacker identifying himself as Saudi published the credit card information of about 20,000 Israelis obtained from a sporting goods website.
In an email exchange with Ynet, the hacker who calls himself “0xOmar” said he attacked Israel over its conflict with the Palestinians:
The alleged Riyadh resident said his actions were meant “to harm Israel for now financially and socially, by creating long queues and crisis and panic.”
The Bank of Israel said the holders of the breached credit cards would not be responsible for any fraudulent purchases using the leaked numbers. There were also no reports of “queues,” “crisis” or “panic.”
Last Friday, an Israeli blogger, Amir Fedida, claimed he cracked the case. Quoting Israel’s Channel 10 newscast, the Jerusalem Post wrote:
According to Fedida, contrary to wide-spread belief that the hacker is Saudi, his research actually reveals that the hacker is Omar Habib, a youth of UAE origin, who lives in Mexico.
According to the report, Fedida claimed in his blog that Habib made many mistakes, allowing him to trace him – the biggest mistake being that he communicated with Israeli media by email, congratulating himself on his “achievements.” Fedida also found from his investigation that the hacker is a pro-Palestinian whose interests include hacking.
The hacker, going by the username “0xOmar” from “group-xp”, disseminated a third file Friday, containing Trojan horse malware.
Omar’s message, posted on the ‘uncensored text hosting’ website Pastebin, contained numerous anti-Israel and anti-Semitic references. The hacker repeatedly referred to the “Zionist lobby” and the “Jewish lobby” throughout the post.
After the initial publication of credit card numbers, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon compared the act to terrorism and vowed to respond.
Such cyber-attacks are “a breach of sovereignty comparable to a terrorist operation, and must be treated as such”, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said during a speech at a community center.
“Israel has active capabilities for striking at those who are trying to harm it, and no agency or hacker will be immune from retaliatory action,” he said, without elaborating.
Those comments apparently drew the ire of hackers who on Tuesday targeted Ayalon’s website. According to Arutz 7, hackers “put a 30-minute dent in the site’s defenses” but didn’t succeed in disabling the site.
Ayalon, an active user of social media including Facebook and Twitter who has posted several viral videos on YouTube said in a statement, “Cyberspace appears to be the new battlefield and our opponents will not be able to defeat us on this plane either.”
Israeli officials said the stolen data was one of the worst acts of commercial cyber sabotage Israel has faced. Though it doesn’t appear there was lasting damage, the incident has sounded an alarm. Meir Sheetrit, chairman of the Knesset’s Science and Technology Committee, held a special hearing Monday where he warned a cyber-attack could, without tanks or planes, “bring about the collapse of a country, and no military can come to the rescue. It is vital that basic steps are initiated to ensure the continuity of computing systems.”
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noczars
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 5:59pm@thejerk=like I said a few moments ago. You are a jerk and an idiot. No one fell for your remarks and ends up you ARE an Obama lover.
Report Post »Joe Schmuck
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 10:52pm@NOCZARS
You need to restore your integrity before you resort to name calling. Previously you made allegations about me without being able to back it up.
Report Post »Dave In Arizona
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 2:41pmMazel tov!
Report Post »schroeder123
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 10:39amAs long as the US gives money to Israel… they will take it gladly and beg for more.
They will never stand on their own two feet, as long as they are beggars.
Report Post »commonsense18
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 12:02pmYou’re an idiot.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 2:04pmIf he’s an idiot, he’s a correct idiot.
Report Post »noczars
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 5:50pm@shrow=Did you read the article or are you just an anti-Isrealite???
Report Post »Max jones
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 10:00amhey jerk….You believe that BHO kicked @ss, well, maybe we were not ready for a blatant liar and cheat. But one thing is for certain, He has not fooled every body, only you and your kind: the weak minded and candy @ss, **** loving, cowardly back stabbers like you who have made this a moral, ethical fight. We want an end to santioned abortion. We want an end to the war against prospererity. and we want restoration of honest debate on ALL isssues that concern public policy.
Report Post »Obama is through….even the DNC is looking for another candidate at this time….I expect Barry to do something like announce his dictatorship and suspend the coming election. If he does…..YOU will become a target, and he will use you and your kind as cannon fodder. He is a coward and a cheat and a liar. He will leave you high and dry, exposed and vulnerable.
The_Jerk
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 2:07pmYou got the wrong guy. I didn’t vote for Buckwheat… can’t stomach that affirmative action creation.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 2:22pmI wrote ‘BAMA… Alabama… the team that just whipped the LSU pussycats for the national title.
Report Post »TheWholeTruth
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 9:49amSeems like false flags and misdirection are rampant these days.
Did you know that Israel created Hamas? http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/ZER403A.html Other sites as well.. this one states: “Let us not forget that it was Israel, which in fact created Hamas. According to Zeev Sternell, historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, “Israel thought that it was a smart ploy to push the Islamists against the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO)”.
Funny, we did the same thing in Afghanistan in a way. Watch Charlie Wilson‘s War if you don’t like reading. The group we aided was led by none other than Osama. Covert war with Russia which brought them to their knees through financial ruin. Sounds eerily familiar with today’s happenings.
Israel is no saint. Neither are we. I just read the IAEA reports on Iran and Iran’s letters and reports to the IAEA. Seems that Iran is following the rules and there is NOTHING to indicate they are enriching for other than peaceful purposes. That comes from the IAEA. Everything is accounted for, tested, logged, etc and all is according to the NPT. They are in FULL compliance. Yet, our Pres, who sits as the head of the UNSC (no wonder he says he gets his authority through the UN for wars) is dead set on war. People in the US are lapping up the hysteria without knowing the facts. Much like they do with anything the media (Fox included) puts out. Did you see the Christmas cards they send out? Look on yahoo.. Fox z
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 2:14pmFacts don’t matter to zealots. Israel wants a war with Iran just like the war they got with Iraq. And, American Jews will do all that they can to get that war, just like they did with Iraq. American lives and treasure will be taken by these Zionist zealots.
In their words: http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/white-man-s-burden-1.14110
And, note how William Kristol admitted that he didn’t care how many American lives were taken in order to achieve his goal for Israel.
Report Post »Max jones
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 9:42amHey jerk…..you must be kidding!!!! “Bama is through. The only way he can survive is to announce his dictatorship. If he does that then you and the others like you will be the targets. He won’t care about you. He will leave you high and dry. He is a coward whose policies have driven a wedge between loyal law respecting decent folks and the dregs of humanity like yourself.
Report Post »It is obvious to intelligent folk what he is and who he is and it will not end well for him or you and your ilk.
We are getting angry at your attitudes and tactics and we won’t take much more of it. Ignore the trends at your own risk. The lines are drawn and the rest is history.
The_Jerk
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 2:20pmMax, are you for real, or that out of touch. Re-read the post. Gonzo’s sign is LSU. ‘BAMA, Alabama, whipped their #ss in the national championship game. I’m rubbing it in, ’cause nobody likes the LSU pussycats.
Report Post »noczars
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 5:55pm@thejerk=Your name is very appropriate, just add “IDIOT”.
Report Post »Darla_K
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 9:20amSounds like nobody is safe from getting their info taken right out from under their feet. Look how illegals get hold of our social security numbers and use them. Really sad.
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 9:11amGot to admire a counter puncher…..
Report Post »Darla_K
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 9:16amNot if your name is on that list.
Report Post »ares338
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 9:04am@ THE_JERK”…………hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhah(taking breath)hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Report Post »Locked
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 8:23am“According to Fedida, contrary to wide-spread belief that the hacker is Saudi, his research actually reveals that the hacker is Omar Habib, a youth of UAE origin, who lives in Mexico.”
If this is true, /slow-clap for the IDF. They retaliated against Saudi citizens when it was a UAE brat who did this. Way to play right into the hands of this jerk. Sounds like he didn’t cover his tracks well at least, and will hopefully be caught soon!
I also wonder if the 0XOmar handle has anything to do with Oxxo, a Mexican franchise of convenience stores (kinda like 7/11s). Was my first thought when I read the name.
Report Post »txn4justice
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 8:12amThis ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no fooling around.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 8:09amMore Israeli terrorism.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 8:16am“This was apparently in retaliation for a similar cyber-attack last week targeting Israelis”
Report Post »Did you miss that part dumb@ss?
Locked
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 8:25am@Gonzo
It sounds like IDF retaliated against Saudi citizens, when it was a UAE citizen living in Mexico who did it while claiming to be Saudi. It would be like if the US attacked Iraq because of 9/11. Er…
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 8:43amGonzo, don’t vent your anger at me. ‘Bama kicked your royal #sses. Deal with it.
And, look at Locked’s response to see who the real dumb@ss is… thanks… and Go ‘BAMA.
Report Post »