149 Hacktivist DDoS Attacks Hit 110 Organizations in 16 Countries After Middle East Conflict

"The hacktivist threat in the Middle East is highly lopsided, with two groups, Keymous+ and DieNet, driving nearly 70% of all attack activity between February 28 and March 2. In all, a total of 149 hacktivist DDoS claims were recorded targeting 110 distinct organizations across 16 countries. The attacks were carried out by 12 different groups, including Keymous+, DieNet, and NoName057(16), which accounted for 74.6% of all activity."

"Hider Nex is a shadowy Tunisian hacktivist group that supports pro-Palestinian causes. It leverages a hack-and-leak strategy combining DDoS attacks with data breaches to leak sensitive data and advance its geopolitical agenda. The group emerged in mid-2025."

"The digital front is expanding alongside the physical one in the region, with hacktivist groups simultaneously targeting more nations in the Middle East than ever before. The distribution of attacks within the region was heavily concentrated in three specific nations: Kuwait, Israel, and Jordan, with Kuwait accounting for 28%, Israel for 27.1%, and Jordan for 21.5% of the total attack claims."

Following coordinated U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran, cybersecurity researchers documented a significant surge in hacktivist activity between February 28 and March 2, 2026. Twelve hacktivist groups executed 149 DDoS attacks against 110 distinct organizations across 16 countries. Three groups—Keymous+, DieNet, and NoName057(16)—accounted for approximately 75% of all activity. The Middle East experienced 107 attacks, with Kuwait, Israel, and Jordan as primary targets. Government sector organizations comprised 47.8% of targeted entities, followed by finance and telecommunications sectors. Hider Nex, a Tunisian pro-Palestinian hacktivist group, launched the first attack on February 28, employing hack-and-leak strategies combining DDoS attacks with data breaches to advance geopolitical objectives.

Read at The Hacker News