Israeli Hacktivists have claimed responsibility for the recent disruptions on the Internet in Iran. The group, known as WeredEvils, emerged in October 2023 possibly in retaliation for Hamas’ attack on Israel which sparked the current war in Gaza.
On their Telegram page, WeredEvils announced plans to carry out cyber attacks on systems and Internet providers in Iran. They declared a successful hack, stating that they were able to breach Iran’s computer systems, steal data, and cause Internet failures. The group claims to have passed on the stolen information to the Israeli government.
As proof of their attack, WeredEvils pointed out that the website of the Iranian Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT.gov.IR) was down, along with other Iranian ministry sites showing errors such as “too long response” or a prohibition of access (403 error).
Currently, only two Russian government ministry sites were accessible, the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. WeredEvils also issued a message on Telegram calling out supporters of the Islamic Revolution Corps and urging them to turn away from violence. The group warned of the consequences for Iran and declared victory for Israel.
However, the extent of damage caused by WeredEvils and their sole responsibility for the Internet interruptions in Iran remain uncertain given the country’s secretive nature regarding cyber attacks.
The group previously attacked the Iranian power grid in October last year, shutting it down for two hours in what may have been their inaugural attack. The notoriety of WeredEvils grew to the extent that Israeli security agency Shin Beth arrested multiple members in June on charges of espionage.