Anonymous Sudan has claimed a cyber attack on media companies in a new threat campaign. Among the victims of this attack were Agence France-Presse (AFP), Hebrew Radio 103 FM, and Channel 7.Â
To gather more details about the AFP Cyber Attack, The Cyber Express reached out to the affected parties. However, as of now, there has been no official response from Agence France-Presse (AFP), Radio 103 FM, or Channel 7.Â
AFP cyber attack, Anonymous Sudan claims responsibility
According to the information shared by the threat actor, the AFP cyber attack lasted approximately one hour. Their post stated their intention to take down the website and application of Radio 103 FM, which they claimed to have successfully accomplished. Similarly, they asserted that the website of Channel 7 was also rendered inaccessible, with all subpages experiencing downtime.
This recent cyber attack on media companies adds to a growing list of incidents attributed to the threat actor. Anonymous Sudan has been increasingly active, launching attacks on various large corporations worldwide. The Cyber Express recently reported its claim of responsibility for a cyber attack on the Department of Commerce in the United States.
While Anonymous Sudan initially claimed responsibility for the takedown of the targeted websites, the impact may have been temporary. At present, the websites of the affected media organizations are operational, indicating that measures were promptly taken to restore normalcy and mitigate the effects of the attack.
AFP cyber attack and the rise of attacks on media organizations
Along with the alleged AFP cyber attack, the media industry, in general, has been “more visible to the public than virtually any other sector,” according to reports. Media companies and news websites are attractive to hackers, who are always looking to market their campaigns to wider audiences.Â
Dan Vasile, Vice President of Strategic Development at BlueVoyant and former Vice President of Information Security at Paramount, commented, “News outlets are frequently targeted by politically motivated individuals aiming to disrupt or compromise content and its distribution,” reported Infosecurity Magazine.
Moreover, in the last couple of years, incidents such as the Paxton Media Group data breach, attack on RTL Nederland, and breach at Marketron Broadcast Solutions have put the global media industry at risk. According to the State of Penetration Testing as a Service report, the media industry is at a higher risk of cyber-attacks.Â
The report says that in 2022, an average of 3.75 critical vulnerabilities per MediaTech application were uncovered during testing. Surprisingly, the data & analytics sector followed closely behind, with an average of 1.5 critical vulnerabilities detected per client application. These figures highlight the overall vulnerability landscape across various industries, with an average of 0.9 critical vulnerabilities identified per client application.
Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.
