Israel warns against computer-hacker vigilantism
Israel Thursday called on computer hackers not to take the law into their own hands to avenge attacks on Israeli credit card companies, and said the authorities were capable of countering all cyber threats.
“We call on Israeli citizens to abide by (the law). Just as the Israeli government has found answers for terrorism, we will find answers to this challenge … we call on Israeli citizens not to … act as vigilantes,” Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said in a statement.
Last week a computer hacker who said he was based in Saudi Arabia, published thousands of personal and credit card details of people apparently gleaned from commercial websites. It was one of the worst cases of hacking Israel has said it has faced.
In response, at least one Israeli hacker declared he had carried out a reprisal cyber-attack on Saudi credit card holders, although the scope of his action could not be verified.
Although the hacked details had apparently come from what analysts said were poorly secured internet shopping websites, the fact that the attack was aimed at Israel has led to fears that it was politically motivated.
Ayalon described the hacking as “a breach of sovereignty comparable to a terrorist operation, and must be treated as such.”