JNS.org – A pro-Syrian hacking group breached Israeli and American websites and released the personal information of more than 165,000 Israelis.

The largest breached website in the organized cyberattack was a site that offered Web hosting services. The breached site provided all information on its users, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses and passwords.

More than 40,000 of the compromised records were reviewed and verified as real by the Internet security firm Maglan. Some of those whose information was released, however, told Israel Hayom that the leaked passwords were not up to date and had been changed a long time ago.

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The attacks bear the marks of pro-Syrian hackers from Spain, Canada and Brazil. Aside from placing pro-Syrian slogans on the websites, the hackers repeatedly tried to access and damage important databases. On some of the sites, the hackers left their signature inside the website’s code and not on the home page, which let them slip by unnoticed after stealing the information.

One of the compromised websites, Yamit 2000, would not prompt suspicion for the casual user, as the hackers left no footprint on the actual pages. Deep inside the website’s code, however, hacker group AnonGhost left a note threatening a massive attack on Sept. 11.

Website hashraa.co.il had its entire members’ club database hacked and its information leaked onto the Internet. The website of Member of Knesset Avishai Braverman (Labor) was also infiltrated.