Just a week after the news of ISIS moving their online operations to the dark web, one of their main websites has been taken down by Ghost Sec hackers who have been in a relationship with the Anonymous group.
Ghost Sec, a faction of the hacktivist collective Anonymous (unaffiliated with the counter-terrorism organisation Ghost Security Group), targeted the Isdarat website after it appeared on the Tor anonymity network last week.
The targeted ISIS’ site showed an ad for a brand that is involved in selling pharmaceutical items with a message for the terror group:
“Too much ISIS. Enhance your calm. Too many people are into this ISIS-stuff. Please gaze upon this lovely ad so we can upgrade our infrastructure to give you ISIS content you all so desperately crave.”
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According to IBT, the websites was hacked by Ghost Sec, which in past has been in relation with the Anonymous group. Most of the web pages from the website were down and showed nothing.
This is the first attack on the so-called Islamic State (IS, previously ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group after Anonymous warned the terror group to “expect us” right after the Paris attacks. One of the Anonymous members from France said:
“Anonymous from all over the world will hunt you down.‘You should know that we will find you and we will not let you go. We will launch the biggest operation ever against you. Expect massive cyber attacks. War is declared. Get prepared.”
It seems a new cyber war has already started, even though ISIS has already moved its operation to the dark web. However, Anonymous and related groups are one step ahead of them. So, it will be interesting to see how ISIS replies back to this!