News US Charges Sudanese Brothers in Record DDoS Campaign

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Cyber Mercenaries Unmasked: US Charges Sudanese Brothers in Record DDoS Campaign



A tale of digital destruction, religious nationalism, and a $100-a-day attack service​

In a startling revelation that has sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity world, two Sudanese brothers have been charged by U.S. federal prosecutors for orchestrating a record-breaking distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaign. The duo, Ahmed Salah Yousif Omer, 22, and Alaa Salah Yusuuf Omer, 27, allegedly conducted a staggering 35,000 DDoS attacks in a single year, targeting critical infrastructure, corporate networks, and government agencies across the globe.

The Rise of 'Anonymous Sudan'​

Operating under the guise of a hacktivist group called "Anonymous Sudan," the brothers allegedly ran a sophisticated DDoS-for-hire service that caused havoc on an unprecedented scale. Their powerful DDoS tool, known in the criminal underworld as Godzilla, Skynet, and InfraShutdown, was marketed as the Distributed Cloud Attack Tool (DCAT).

"Anonymous Sudan sought to maximize havoc and destruction against governments and businesses around the world by perpetrating tens of thousands of cyberattacks," said U.S. attorney Martin Estrada. "This group's attacks were callous and brazen—the defendants went so far as to attack hospitals providing emergency and urgent care to patients."

The group's activities were not limited to mere cybercrime. They positioned themselves as digital mercenaries with a veneer of religious and Sudanese nationalist motivations. This facade allowed them to collaborate with other hacktivist groups and participate in campaigns such as the annual #OpIsrael.

A Digital Rampage Uncovered​

The scale of the brothers' alleged operations is staggering:

• 35,000 DDoS attacks in a single year
• Over $10 million in damages to U.S. victims alone
• Attacks on Microsoft's services in June 2023
• Targeting of critical infrastructure and healthcare facilities

The DCAT tool was reportedly offered to customers at rates of $100 per day, $600 per week, and $1,700 per month, allowing up to 100 attacks daily. This pricing structure made powerful cyber weapons accessible to a wide range of malicious actors.

The Crackdown: Operation PowerOFF​

The charges against the Omer brothers are part of a broader international effort dubbed Operation PowerOFF. This ongoing initiative aims to dismantle criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructure worldwide and hold accountable those who create and use these illegal services.

As part of the operation, law enforcement has seized key components of the DCAT tool, including:

• Servers used to launch DDoS attacks
• Relay servers for attack commands
• Accounts containing the source code for the DDoS tools

Legal Consequences and Global Impact​

The brothers now face serious legal consequences. Ahmed Salah has been charged with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers and three counts of damaging protected computers, potentially facing a life sentence. Alaa Salah faces a single conspiracy charge with a maximum sentence of five years.

The dismantling of the DCAT tool in March 2024 coincided with the arrest of the brothers, marking a significant victory for cybersecurity efforts worldwide. However, the case also highlights the ongoing challenges in combating cyber threats that transcend national borders.

A Broader Landscape of Cybercrime​

The Anonymous Sudan case is not isolated. It comes amidst a series of international law enforcement actions against cybercrime:

• Finnish authorities recently shut down the Sipulitie darknet marketplace, a drug-selling platform with a reported turnover of 1.3 million euros.
• Brazilian police arrested a hacker connected to breaches of their own systems and those of international institutions, including the leak of data from 80,000 InfraGard members.

The Road Ahead​

As digital threats continue to evolve, the case of the Omer brothers serves as a stark reminder of the potential for individuals to wreak havoc on a global scale. It underscores the need for continued international cooperation in cybersecurity and raises questions about the motivations behind such attacks.

The dismantling of Anonymous Sudan's operations may provide temporary relief, but it also highlights the cat-and-mouse game between cybercriminals and law enforcement. As one threat is neutralized, others are likely to emerge, adapting to new defenses and exploiting fresh vulnerabilities.

In this ever-shifting digital landscape, the battle against cyber threats remains an ongoing challenge, requiring vigilance, innovation, and collaboration across borders and sectors. The Anonymous Sudan case may be closed, but the war against cybercrime is far from over.