How ‘Handala’ Became the Face of Iran’s Hacker Counterattacks

Washington, DC: Since the United States and Israel started air strikes against Iran in late February, computer security experts have warned about possible Iranian cyberattacks. On Tuesday night, that warning became real when hackers broke into Stryker, an American medical technology company. The attack stopped tens of thousands of computers and caused big problems for the company around the world.

“We announce to the world that our major cyber operation has been executed with complete success,” said a statement from the hackers. They used the name Handala, which comes from a famous cartoon character drawn by Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali. Handala talked about how Iran was hitting back because of attacks on their country and a missile strike that killed many people at a school.

Computer experts say Handala is probably connected to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. The group pretends to be independent hackers while actually working for the Iranian government. They have broken into computer systems many times before, attacking places in Albania, Israel, and other countries.

Handala has claimed more than 12 hacking successes since the war started two weeks ago, mostly against Israeli targets. The group mixes the loud actions of independent hackers with the strong weapons of a government. Some experts think Handala is acting without a clear plan right now, just trying to cause problems wherever they can to show they are fighting back.