Fact Check: Was anonymous behind X ddos recently

Fact Check: "Was Anonymous behind X DDoS recently?"

What We Know

The claim that "Anonymous" was behind recent DDoS attacks is misleading. The group in question, known as "Anonymous Sudan," is a distinct entity that has been active since January 2023. This group has been implicated in over 35,000 Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting various critical infrastructures, including hospitals and government agencies in the United States and abroad (source-1, source-3).

In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of two Sudanese nationals, Ahmed Salah Yousif Omer and Alaa Salah Yusuuf Omer, for their alleged roles in operating Anonymous Sudan. They were charged with conspiracy to damage protected computers and other related offenses (source-1, source-2). The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks, including those against hospitals, which resulted in significant disruptions and damages (source-1, source-6).

Analysis

The evidence clearly indicates that the group responsible for the recent DDoS attacks is not the well-known hacktivist collective "Anonymous," but rather a separate group operating under the name "Anonymous Sudan." This group has a specific ideological motivation, claiming to act in defense of pro-Palestinian causes, while also engaging in extortion (source-3).

The reliability of the sources reporting on this matter is high. The U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI are credible institutions, and their statements regarding the indictments and the operations against Anonymous Sudan are backed by legal documentation (source-1). Furthermore, the coverage by reputable news outlets such as The New York Times and the Jerusalem Post corroborates the details of the indictment and the group's activities (source-2, source-6).

While the name "Anonymous Sudan" may lead some to associate it with the broader Anonymous collective, experts note that there are no known links between the two. In fact, some analysts suggest that Anonymous Sudan may have connections to Russian cyber activities, further distinguishing it from the original Anonymous group (source-3, source-5).

Conclusion

The claim that "Anonymous" was behind the recent DDoS attacks is False. The responsible entity is "Anonymous Sudan," a separate and distinct group that has been actively engaged in cyberattacks since early 2023. The evidence presented by credible sources supports this conclusion, highlighting the group's specific activities and motivations.