Latest news with #PhantomAtlas
Morocco World
3 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Phantom Atlas Hackers Infiltrate Algérie Télécom Network in Cyber Retaliation
Doha – Morocco's shadowy digital warriors, Phantom Atlas, delivered a devastating blow to Algeria's telecommunications backbone Monday night, further inflaming the bitter cyber conflict between the North African neighbors. The group claimed to have fully accessed the internal network infrastructure map of Algérie Télécom, Algeria's state-owned telecommunications company that serves as the country's primary internet and telephone service provider with millions of subscribers across the country. According to their Telegram channel, the hackers obtained detailed technical information revealing network routes in the Algerian provinces of Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdès, and Bouira. The data shows critical infrastructure connecting Broadband Network Gateway access points to global content servers. 'The images reveal central routers, content distribution rings, data consumption by commune, and mapping of interconnections between national infrastructure and international links,' Phantom Atlas stated. A direct response This cyberattack comes as a direct response to recent data breaches of the platform belonging to Morocco's National Council of Notaries. The breach was attributed to Algerian hacker group Jabaroot DZ, which has targeted multiple Moroccan institutions. The Algerian hackers claimed to have stolen approximately 10,000 property ownership certificates, 20,000 personal documents including sales deeds, civil status records, ID cards, passports, and banking information—amounting to a staggering 4 terabytes of sensitive data. Just yesterday, Jabaroot claimed responsibility for a new cyberattack against Morocco's Ministry of Justice. The group alleged it had accessed sensitive data linked to Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, along with files concerning approximately 5,000 magistrates and 35,000 officials across Morocco's judicial sector. 'Our main goal by leaking all that data is to raise consciousness among the people of Morocco about the corruption of their leaders,' Jabaroot stated on Telegram, further claiming that 'all the Justice IT infrastructure is already pawned.' This exchange of cyber hostilities began in April when Jabaroot breached Morocco's National Social Security Fund (CNSS), reportedly exposing personal data of nearly 2 million Moroccan employees across approximately 500,000 businesses. In swift retaliation, Phantom Atlas penetrated Algeria's General Post and Telecommunications Corporation (MGPTT) within 24 hours, claiming to have extracted 'over 13 gigabytes of confidential files' containing personal data and 'highly sensitive strategic documents.' The Moroccan hackers also breached the Algerian Ministry of Labor's systems, claiming to have uncovered files revealing 'grave dysfunctions and poor administrative management.' Morocco's General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI) has confirmed that data compromised in early June came exclusively from the platform. Contrary to some reports, the National Agency for Land Conservation, Cadastre and Cartography (ANCFCC) systems were not affected. As a precautionary measure, the tawtik platform was taken offline to identify and fix the exploited vulnerabilities. The DGSSI assured it has implemented enhanced cybersecurity measures in line with national recommendations. 'No future provocation will remain without response' During their April counterattack, Phantom Atlas issued stern, unambiguous warnings: 'This is not merely a cyberattack. It is a message of deterrence and defiance. We will not remain silent in the face of aggression,' they declared. 'No future provocation will remain without response, which will be disproportionate.' The group cautioned that 'every hostile act against Morocco, its people, or its sovereignty will be answered,' adding, 'You underestimated us. Now you are witnessing the consequences.' The group also made explicit reference to the Western Sahara dispute, stating: 'The Moroccan Sahara is not up for debate. It will remain under full Moroccan sovereignty. Morocco will never relinquish a single inch.' These incidents come as Morocco faces increasing cybersecurity threats. According to cybersecurity company Kaspersky, Morocco ranks third among African countries facing web-based threats, with 12.6 million attack attempts documented in 2024. The Ministry of Justice has not yet responded to Jabaroot's latest claims, which, if verified, would mark one of the most serious digital intrusions involving Morocco's justice system. Tags: JabarootMorocco cyberattacksPhantom Atlas
Morocco World
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
‘Face the Consequences': Moroccan Hackers Strike Back at Algerian Targets
Doha – A Moroccan hacking group called 'Phantom Atlas' has claimed responsibility for launching retaliatory cyberattacks against Algerian government institutions, following a hostile data breach at Morocco's National Social Security Fund (CNSS) by Algerian hackers. In a message posted on Telegram yesterday, Phantom Atlas announced they had successfully breached the internal systems of Algeria's General Post and Telecommunications Corporation (MGPTT) within 24 hours of the CNSS attack. The group claimed to have extracted 'over 13 gigabytes of confidential files' containing personal data and 'highly sensitive strategic documents,' with some reports suggesting the stolen data could reach up to 20 gigabytes. 'We are observing. We are capable. Any future act of provocation will be met with a targeted and disproportionate response,' the group warned in their statement, directly addressing the Algerian government. The Moroccan hackers also claimed to have penetrated the Algerian Ministry of Labor's systems, stating they uncovered documents revealing 'deep structural flaws and chronic mismanagement within key state institutions.' Phantom Atlas made an explicit reference to the Western Sahara dispute: 'The Moroccan Sahara is not up for debate. It will remain under full Moroccan sovereignty. Morocco will never relinquish a single inch.' Following attempts by MGPTT Director General Zekri Mahmoud to downplay the breach, they further cautioned this morning: 'To those hiding behind false slogans and trying to mask their failure – the recent leaks are not a simple incident, they are an indirect message. Your attempts to minimize this event will not go unnoticed.' In a parallel operation, another Moroccan entity identified as 'OPx005' reported executing a large-scale DDoS attack that successfully disrupted multiple Algerian government websites, including those of the Prime Minister's office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Defense. CNSS breach exposes millions of Moroccan employee records The counterattacks came after the Algerian hacking group 'Jabaroot' breached CNSS systems, reportedly exposing personal data of nearly 2 million Moroccan employees across approximately 500,000 businesses. The leaked documents allegedly included salary certificates and employee lists from various organizations, including the royal holding SIGER and the Israeli liaison office in Rabat. In an official statement Wednesday, CNSS acknowledged the breach but claimed that preliminary verification showed the leaked documents were 'often false, inaccurate or truncated.' The institution confirmed its computer system had been targeted by 'a series of cyberattacks aimed at circumventing security measures.' 'As soon as the data leak was observed, the IT security protocol was activated with corrective measures that contained the path used and strengthened infrastructures,' CNSS stated, adding that measures have been implemented to identify the affected data precisely. In response, Jabaroot released personal information of CNSS Director General Hassan Boubrik and challenged the institution: 'We are ready to apologize and withdraw all published data if CNSS can prove that even a single document in the leak is false, particularly regarding senior officials' salaries.' The incident has drawn attention from political figures, with Abdellah Bouanou, head of the Justice and Development Party's (PJD) parliamentary group, calling for enhanced cybersecurity measures across ministerial sectors and public institutions. The Algerian hackers claimed their initial attack was in retaliation for alleged 'Moroccan harassment of official Algerian social media pages,' specifically citing the suspension of the Algerian Press Service (APS) account on the social media platform X. Meanwhile, Phantom Atlas concluded their message with a stern warning. 'This is not merely a cyberattack. It is a message of deterrence and defiance. We will not remain silent in the face of aggression,' they vowed. 'Every hostile act against Morocco, its people, or its sovereignty will be answered. This is a show of force, resilience, and strategic reach. You underestimated us. Now you are witnessing the consequences.' Who is behind the CNSS breach? A subsequent investigation by Moroccan cybersecurity researchers into the Jabaroot breach uncovered what experts described as a 'Bad OpSec' (Bad Operational Security) mistake that exposed the attacker's identity. The error occurred when Jabaroot initially forwarded messages from a personal Telegram account with the handle '3N16M4' instead of posting directly to their channel. Though the messages were quickly deleted and reposted without the forwarding tag, Moroccan researchers had already captured the digital trail. The investigation traced the handle to a GitHub account belonging to a security engineer named Rachid Mzannar, currently residing in Bochum, Germany. While the Jabaroot group claimed Algerian origins, forensic analysis of CTF (Capture The Flag) competition records suggested the individual behind the handle was actually from Tunisia. The investigation team, comprising researchers Edd13Mora, Jakom, 0xPwny, C3poD4Y, ZeroMemoryEx, Tea, and Farisi, noted that while these findings raise questions about the attack's true origins, they remain preliminary and require further verification. Tags: cyberattacksMoroccan hackersThe National Social Security Fund (CNSS)
