Four Israeli hackers suspected of planning New Year’s Eve attack

The four are suspected of abetting three US hackers.

Four Israeli hackers are suspected of planning to disrupt computer systems in the US on New Year’s Eve. The four are suspected of belonging to a US-Israeli hacker gang.

Suspicion was aroused by an investigation of three US hackers suspected of similar crimes. The three were arrested a few days ago by agents of the FBI computer crimes unit on suspicion of planning an e-attack on US computer networks on New Year’s Eve.

Under questioning, the US hackers informed on the four Israelis, three of whom are minors. The FBI passed on the Israelis’ identifying details to the Israel Police national fraud investigations unit’s computer crimes section.

The section’s investigators located the suspects before they could act, catching them only half and hour to midnight Eastern Standard Time in the US. Computers were seized in the search of the suspects’ homes, which the police claim contained a great deal of material allegedly pointing to their involvement in the affair.

The police investigation showed that the main instigator of the hacker attack was an Israeli youth operating under the alias “Hell”. The police said that two computers and plans for sophisticated e-attacks were seized at the suspects home.

According to the investigators, the suspect admitted to carrying out e-attacks and distributing operating methods to other hackers. The minor also admitted using stolen Internet accounts and credit cards.

The 17-year old suspects from the center of the country were released on bail at the conclusion of the questioning, and the main suspect was put under house arrest for several days, except to go to school.

Published by Israel's Business Arena on 3 January 2001

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