A hacking group known as Anonymous Sudan targeted X, formerly Twitter, causing widespread disruption across multiple countries to pressure Elon Musk into launching Starlink services in Sudan. X experienced over two hours of downtime, impacting thousands of users.
The hackers, posting on Telegram, sought to convey their message to Musk, urging him to “Open Starlink in Sudan.” The attack on X is part of Anonymous Sudan’s larger efforts to advance the interests of Sudan and Islam through cyber actions.
The attack utilized Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) techniques to flood X’s servers, temporarily taking the platform offline. The group’s spokesperson, Crush, revealed the simplicity of their hacking methods, aligning with their well-known unsophisticated approach. Despite the disruption, X and Musk have yet to publicly respond to the incident or address launching Starlink in Sudan.
Anonymous Sudan’s hacktivism efforts have sparked debates about their origin, with some accusing the group of being a Russian cyber-military unit. However, the group asserts its Sudanese identity, sharing location evidence and motives to the BBC.
Anonymous Sudan aims to showcase Sudanese abilities through their cyber activities and defend the truth, Islam, and their country. Crush highlighted that their attacks target infrastructure to impart lessons to rulers, even though some actions have inadvertently impacted civilians. The group’s hacking campaigns extend beyond political motivations, as they’ve attempted extortion for Bitcoin and targeted various websites.
Despite varying opinions, Anonymous Sudan’s activities have had significant consequences, including the disruption of Microsoft services and raising awareness about cyber threats affecting organizations.
