Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Doha – Morocco’s shadowy digital warriors, Phantom Atlas, delivered a devastating blow to Algeria’s telecommunications backbone Monday night, further inflaming the bitter cyber conflict between the North African neighbors.
The group claimed to have fully accessed the internal network infrastructure map of Algérie Télécom, Algeria’s state-owned telecommunications company that serves as the country’s primary internet and telephone service provider with millions of subscribers across the country.
According to their Telegram channel, the hackers obtained detailed technical information revealing network routes in the Algerian provinces of Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdès, and Bouira. The data shows critical infrastructure connecting Broadband Network Gateway access points to global content servers.
“The images reveal central routers, content distribution rings, data consumption by commune, and mapping of interconnections between national infrastructure and international links,” Phantom Atlas stated.
A direct response
This cyberattack comes as a direct response to recent data breaches of the tawtik.ma platform belonging to Morocco’s National Council of Notaries. The breach was attributed to Algerian hacker group Jabaroot DZ, which has targeted multiple Moroccan institutions.
The Algerian hackers claimed to have stolen approximately 10,000 property ownership certificates, 20,000 personal documents including sales deeds, civil status records, ID cards, passports, and banking information—amounting to a staggering 4 terabytes of sensitive data.
Just yesterday, Jabaroot claimed responsibility for a new cyberattack against Morocco’s Ministry of Justice. The group alleged it had accessed sensitive data linked to Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, along with files concerning approximately 5,000 magistrates and 35,000 officials across Morocco’s judicial sector.
“Our main goal by leaking all that data is to raise consciousness among the people of Morocco about the corruption of their leaders,” Jabaroot stated on Telegram, further claiming that “all the Justice IT infrastructure is already pawned.”
This exchange of cyber hostilities began in April when Jabaroot breached Morocco’s National Social Security Fund (CNSS), reportedly exposing personal data of nearly 2 million Moroccan employees across approximately 500,000 businesses.
In swift retaliation, Phantom Atlas penetrated Algeria’s General Post and Telecommunications Corporation (MGPTT) within 24 hours, claiming to have extracted “over 13 gigabytes of confidential files” containing personal data and “highly sensitive strategic documents.”
The Moroccan hackers also breached the Algerian Ministry of Labor’s systems, claiming to have uncovered files revealing “grave dysfunctions and poor administrative management.”
Morocco’s General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI) has confirmed that data compromised in early June came exclusively from the tawtik.ma platform. Contrary to some reports, the National Agency for Land Conservation, Cadastre and Cartography (ANCFCC) systems were not affected.
As a precautionary measure, the tawtik platform was taken offline to identify and fix the exploited vulnerabilities. The DGSSI assured it has implemented enhanced cybersecurity measures in line with national recommendations.
‘No future provocation will remain without response’
During their April counterattack, Phantom Atlas issued stern, unambiguous warnings: “This is not merely a cyberattack. It is a message of deterrence and defiance. We will not remain silent in the face of aggression,” they declared. “No future provocation will remain without response, which will be disproportionate.”
The group cautioned that “every hostile act against Morocco, its people, or its sovereignty will be answered,” adding, “You underestimated us. Now you are witnessing the consequences.”
The group also made explicit reference to the Western Sahara dispute, stating: “The Moroccan Sahara is not up for debate. It will remain under full Moroccan sovereignty. Morocco will never relinquish a single inch.”
These incidents come as Morocco faces increasing cybersecurity threats. According to cybersecurity company Kaspersky, Morocco ranks third among African countries facing web-based threats, with 12.6 million attack attempts documented in 2024.
The Ministry of Justice has not yet responded to Jabaroot’s latest claims, which, if verified, would mark one of the most serious digital intrusions involving Morocco’s justice system.
