The Palestinian militant group Hamas is expanding into the cyber domain where it looks to launch offensive cyberattacks according to a new report from Atlantic Council. Hamas has for years been a well-understood militant and terrorist organization. But its entry into the cyber domain for cyber espionage, information warfare, and cyberattacks is a “new way to do old things better,” according to the report.
There is no iron dome in cyberspace.
Simon Handler
The report gives Hamas the designation “green hat hacker”—which implies that the person is new to the hacking world, lacking experience and sophistication. However, this does not mean that they are not persistent, or committed to disruption more experienced hackers or organized hacking groups have.
Hamas is now looking to improvise, deploy tools, and perform espionage operations on internal and external targets—all in the cyber domain. All the hallmarks of its terrorist and militant operations, now in another domain.
A new way to do old things better.
No Iron Dome in Cyberspace
In 2019, Israel—who will spare no expense, and cross any line to defend its country and people—carried out a kinetic strike against a Hamas cyber operation headquarters. This was one of the first major kinetic strikes to occur from a country’s military in response to a cyber operation.
This did little to deter Hamas’ cyber operations in the long run. It simply motivated them to enhance their cyber operations capabilities, and pivot in strategy.
“There is no Iron Dome in cyberspace,” Handler warns.
Much like the world has witnessed the rise in capability from Iranian nation-state hackers after the 2010 attack of Stuxnet on the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, Hamas too will grow in sophistication.
It is an unrelenting, continuous elevation in the cyber domain, and Hamas is here to leave its mark.
