Anonymous Sudan in U.S. Custody: The Story of Their Fall
Source: Al-Hurra website
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged two Sudanese citizens for their alleged roles in cyberattacks carried out by the group "Anonymous Sudan" on hospitals, government institutions, and critical infrastructure in Los Angeles and around the world.
2The indictment revealed that Ahmed Salah Youssef Omar, 22, and Alaa Salah Youssef Omar, 27, were involved in operating and managing "Anonymous Sudan," a cybercriminal group responsible for tens of thousands of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against critical infrastructure, government networks, and businesses in the U.S. and other countries.
According to The Washington Post, federal prosecutors accused the Sudanese brothers of running one of the most influential cyber-attack gangs ever, operating for profit. The group has been blamed for 35,000 attacks in a single year. Convictions could potentially lead to life sentences.
The brothers reportedly operated Anonymous Sudan, a large group with 80,000 subscribers on Telegram. Since January 2023, they have disrupted major online platforms such as Microsoft, OpenAI, and PayPal. The indictment states that they did this with just three other partners from Sudan, who have not yet been charged.
Ahmed Banafa, a professor of engineering and network security at San Jose State University in California, told Al-Hurra that the group used thousands of computers to attack websites. The challenge for hackers in such cases is to mask the identity of these devices to prevent authorities from tracking them. This is where the Sudanese brothers failed, falling into a trap.
Banafa added that another factor that helped U.S. authorities catch them was the use of artificial intelligence and coordination with companies like PayPal to monitor suspicious activities. AI has significantly reduced the time needed to track cybercrimes, making it much easier for authorities.
The U.S. government paid special attention to the "Sudanese" hacking, compared to previous cases of cyberattacks, which were often financially motivated. Banafa attributes this heightened focus to the ideological, nationalistic, and political motivations behind the Sudanese attacks. The swift arrests sent a clear message to any other groups planning similar cyberattacks.
Foreign Affairs magazine highlighted that, ahead of the U.S. presidential elections, there are worrying signs about the risks facing the electoral process. The magazine underscored how adversaries of Washington are determined to interfere with or undermine the voting process.
New details have emerged about cyberattacks and election interference efforts led by China, Russia, and Iran. This prompted U.S. officials and tech industry executives to warn of these nations intentions to "sow chaos" in the weeks leading up to November 5.
In addition to election-related issues, CNBC in June spotlighted the dangers facing U.S. drinking water systems, which are also vulnerable to cyberattacks linked to China, Russia, and Iran.
The network reported that cyberattacks on water systems could harm infrastructure, disrupt water availability or flow, alter chemical levels, and contaminate public drinking water supplies.
According to the report, recent attacks on water facilities targeted systems in Kansas, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Securing critical national infrastructure has become a top priority for cybercriminals connected to foreign entities, particularly China, Russia, and Iran.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency told the network, "All drinking water and wastewater systems are vulnerable, both in urban and rural areas."
