Cyber Incident Victim: Fab-Defense
Date:
Apr 2015
Location:
Israel
Summary
A hacktivist group breached an Israeli arms importer's website, compromising extensive client data including login credentials, personal details, and corporate information for local and international customers, some affiliated with governments. The attackers leaked databases containing emails with encrypted passwords, addresses, phone numbers, and company affiliations, verified as previously undisclosed and matching legitimate dealer records. The intrusion occurred under a coordinated campaign targeting Israeli entities, which also involved defacing websites, exposing financial credentials, and diverting funds to activist causes.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In April 2015, the hacktivist collective Anonymous breached the website of Israeli arms importer and manufacturer Fab-Defense (fab-defense.com) as part of their annual OpIsrael campaign. The attack occurred between April 7 and April 20, 2015, aligning with Anonymous's announced timeframe for targeting Israeli cyber infrastructure. Attackers exfiltrated and publicly released extensive client and customer data, including login credentials with encrypted passwords, email addresses, physical addresses, nicknames, usernames, personal phone numbers, registration dates, country information, company affiliations, and professional titles. The leaked database contained records of both domestic and international clients, including government officials. Anonymous substantiated their claim by publishing samples of the stolen data alongside a political message: "OpIsrael 2015, Hello Israel, We are Anonymous, We are Legion, We do not forgive, we do not forget. Israel, Expect US."
Independent verification confirmed the data's authenticity through cross-referencing with Fab-Defense's public dealer locator page, which listed 20 dealers across 24 European countries. Specific matches included Austrian company Consight Consulting GmbH, whose exact details appeared in the leaked records. Journalists validated additional entries by comparing company names, addresses, and phone numbers from Fab-Defense's website against the breached data, noting occasional discrepancies in contact numbers. The incident formed part of a broader OpIsrael offensive that compromised hundreds of Israeli social media and PayPal accounts, defaced over 100 websites, and included a separate breach of another Israeli arms manufacturer on April 11. Concurrently, affiliated group AnonGhost hijacked Israeli credit card data to donate $18,000 to pro-Palestinian charities. Fab-Defense received media inquiries regarding the breach but had not issued public statements at the time of reporting. The exposure of sensitive client information, particularly involving government personnel and international arms trade entities, represented a significant operational security compromise for the company and its customers.