DDoS cyberattack temporarily blocks Israeli credit card payments
Two weeks after similar assault, clearing company Hyp says it was subject to cyberattack that affected some of its systems; Iran-linked hacker group reportedly claims responsibility
An Israeli clearing company was targeted in a cyberattack on Sunday, leaving some people unable to use their credit cards to shop in stores for several hours.
The incident came less than two weeks after a similar attack downed a different credit services company for a period of a few hours.
Channel 12 news and Army Radio both reported that an Iran-linked hacker group took responsibility for the attack, without citing sources or giving further details.
In Sunday’s incident, a DDoS attack targeted payment solution company Hyp, which is used by companies across Israel including the Maccabi health fund, taxi service Gett, food ordering app Wolt, and public transportation payment systems Rav Kav Online and Hop-On.
Hyp’s Credit Guard confirmed in a statement that it was the target of a cyberattack, and said it had since blocked the attack and returned to operating as normal.
The attack also interfered with some operations on Bit, the popular digital payment app operated by Bank Hapoalim, similar to the US-based Venmo.
According to data from cyber security company Check Point cited by Channel 12, cyberattacks on Israeli companies have increased 100 percent since last year, with the majority originating from Iran.
A similar attack last month targeted Israel’s credit Automated Bank Services, which said at the time that a DDoS attack caused many bodies connected to the company through the internet to experience disruptions in processing transactions.
The identities or motives of the attackers have not been revealed in either incident.
