Amidst the increasing tension in the Middle East, cyber war has now reached a dangerous level. Hacktivist group Handala Hack, believed to be linked to Iran, has carried out a major cyber attack on US military forces. The group has leaked sensitive data of 2,379 US Marines.
The leaked data is said to include the names, phone numbers, home addresses, base locations and even information related to the soldiers' personal habits. This attack has been specifically targeted at the US Navy and Marines deployed in the Persian Gulf.
According to reports, between April 28-29, hackers sent threatening messages to American soldiers through WhatsApp. It was written in the message that we know who you are, call your families for the last time. In these messages, threats were also made to attack with Iranian weapons like Shahed drone and Qadir missile.
Handlea Group has claimed that it also has more data of thousands of US Navy personnel, which will soon be made public. At present, the data of 2,379 marines has been released on Telegram channel and website. The group has called it revenge for the attack on a school in Minab region of Iran.
Handala describes itself as a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group, but US agencies such as the FBI and the US Department Office of Justice consider it a front group linked to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). Even before this, this group has been involved in many major cyber attacks, which include attack on a medical company and hacking the emails of American officials.
After the attack, Pentagon and US Cyber Command have issued an alert. Soldiers have been asked to be cautious about the safety of their personal devices and family. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described the attack as 'desperation of the Iranian regime' and said that cyber security will be further strengthened. The FBI has seized many domains associated with Handla, although the group remains active through new accounts.
Experts believe that this attack is not just data theft but a big psychological operation. Its purpose is to create fear and weaken morale among American soldiers and their families. Now war is not limited to just missiles and bombs, cyber attacks, data leaks and online threats have also become an important part of war.
This incident clearly shows that cyber war is no longer a side show but has become a part of the real war. This attack by Handla shows that countries like Iran are aggressively using digital weapons along with conventional weapons. In such a situation, it has become very important to strengthen peace and cyber security at the global level.
