### Cyber Warfare Intensifies: U.S. Indicts Sudanese Brothers in Attack on Israeli Infrastructure

### The indictment reveals a multi-national cyberattack linked to dangerous online group targeting critical infrastructures.

On October 7, 2023, the chaotic day when Hamas launched a significant offensive against Israel, two brothers from Sudan, Ahmed and Alaa Omer, were allegedly executing a separate but highly impactful cyberattack. From a distance, Ahmed targeted Israeli early warning systems, momentarily disabling notifications that could have saved lives as the attacks unfolded, resulting in the tragic death of around 1,200 people and over 200 abductions.

This alarming accusation was made public in a criminal indictment filed in California, highlighting the brothers’ involvement with a cyber group known as Anonymous Sudan. U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada described the group as “the most dangerous” specializing in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. According to the indictment, this group has executed roughly 35,000 cyberattacks, impairing the operations of several government agencies, including those of the FBI and Justice Department, as well as major news outlets like CNN and The Washington Post.

In addition to targeting Israel, the indictment cites the brothers’ cyber actions against multiple countries, including Denmark, France, and Sweden. Their cyber endeavors also extended to critical healthcare facilities, such as an attack on Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, which necessitated the redirection of emergency patients due to system disruptions.

The Omer brothers, currently in custody in an undisclosed location, previously justified their cyber actions as retaliation against Israel for its bombings in Gaza during that period. As the global landscape continues to witness the blending of warfare and technology, these developments underscore the necessity for robust cyber defense mechanisms in an increasingly connected world.