Iranian Hacking Groups Go Dark During US, Israeli Military Strikes

Iran’s feared hacking groups have failed to play a meaningful role as the US and Israel wage a new war, a silence cybersecurity analysts say underscores how far the Islamic Republic’s online attack and disinformation capabilities have withered.

American and Israeli airstrikes against Iran on Saturday were quickly followed by cyber operations intended to spread propaganda there. A popular Iranian prayer app, BadeSaba, was reportedly hijacked to tell its users that “help has arrived” and then urged Iranian army members to surrender. In the early hours of fighting, pro-regime news agencies were compromised and Iranian television stations were repurposed to broadcast videos of President Donald Trump and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Israeli media outlets.