Footage spread online reportedly showing an Egyptian hacker hijacking Israel’s Channel 14 are fake, according to a information security expert, and the channel had not been hacked as reported.
Information security and artificial intelligence trainer Eman Ali explained that in the world of cybersecurity, anonymity is a basic principle for any successful hacking operation – thus a hacker revealing their nationality would put themselves as risk of being exposed and reveal the source of the attack.
Identifying the source of cyber-attacks is not a simple matter, she added, as hackers rely on advanced technologies such as virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy servers, which make it easy to mislead security agencies and link the attack to another country or entity.
Ali stressed that announcing that an Egyptian hacker is responsible just be an attempt to point the finger at Egypt and spread disinformation.
Cyber-attacks are often part of broader strategies that include cyber wars and media manipulation, Ali said, adding that hacks are often used as a political tool to send messages or stir up tensions.
She noted that it is always important to analyze these events in a broader context rather than treat them as individual incidents, explaining that Israel, for example, may exploit such news to bolster its security posture or to justify counter-cyber attacks.
Ali added that that hacking a TV channel is not a major achievement from a security or strategic perspective, compared to hacks targeting vital infrastructure or security and financial systems.
“There is a difference between the theatrical hacks that aim to attract attention, and the professional cyber operations that are carried out according to well-thought-out strategies to achieve specific goals without the need to announce them,” she explained.
Cyberspace has become an arena for modern warfare, the expert said, and dealing with it requires strategic thinking away from emotion or rushing to believe media stories.
“We must always look at such attacks in their broader context, and leave the technical analysis to specialists instead of being carried away by the news circulating without verification,” she stressed.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
