Unmasking Anonymous Sudan: A Timeline of DDoS Attacks and Motivations

Introduction

In the murky world of cyber warfare, a shadowy group known as Anonymous Sudan has emerged, leaving a trail of disruption and intrigue. Since January 2023, this enigmatic collective has orchestrated a series of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against various targets, with Sweden bearing the brunt of their digital assault. In this blog post, we delve into the origins, affiliations, and motivations of Anonymous Sudan, shedding light on their actions and the implications for global cybersecurity.

The Rise of Anonymous Sudan

Anonymous Sudan Makes Its Presence Known

Anonymous Sudan burst onto the scene in January, swiftly making headlines worldwide. Their targets span continents, affecting critical infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, and government entities. Countries such as Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, France, Israel, Germany, UAE, the US, and Iran have all felt the impact of their cyber onslaught. Recently, even tech giant Microsoft fell victim to their DDoS attacks, attributing them to an adversary group they've tracked as "Storm-1359"—a taxonomy that likely corresponds to Anonymous Sudan.

Apparent Connections to Killnet

Evidence suggests that Anonymous Sudan has ties to the pro-Russian hacktivist collective Killnet, a connection confirmed in February 2023. However, the depth of this affiliation remains under scrutiny. What's intriguing is that Anonymous Sudan appears to be masquerading as Sudanese actors with Islamist motivations, concealing their true identity as state-sponsored Russian operatives. Their tactics mirror those employed by Russian adversaries, using social media and public-facing accounts to propagate their message.

Guise of Islamist Ideologies

Despite its name, Anonymous Sudan lacks any genuine links to the country of Sudan or the previous Anonymous group operating there. Their multilingual posts—ranging from English to Russian and more recently Arabic—reveal a complex web of motivations. Notably, their attack on Sweden followed an anti-Islam protest organized by Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan, during which he publicly burned a copy of the Quran. Anonymous Sudan's response was swift and targeted, hitting numerous Scandinavian entities.

A Timeline of Attacks

Here's a snapshot of some recent DDoS attacks claimed by Anonymous Sudan:

• January 23 – February 22: Attacks on Sweden in response to Rasmus Paludan's actions.
• January 27: Attacks on the Netherlands, also linked to Paludan.
• February 22: Attacks on Denmark, again tied to Rasmus Paludan.