Alongside the wave of public protests, riots, and condemnations that have swept the Arab and Muslim world in response to the controversial anti-Islamic film "Innocence of Muslims," there have also been cyber-attacks against Western websites by Arab hackers. Reports estimated that over 50 Western websites were targeted, including some U.S. government sites. Reports of other attacks, however, such as the September 18, 2012 attack against the Bank of America site, allegedly perpetrated by "cyber fighters" belonging to the 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, remain questionable.[1] In a statement in which it claimed responsibility for the same attack, the group warned of subsequent cyber-attacks against the New York Stock Exchange.
In an another attack, a hacker identified as "Soly" targeted a Dutch online shopping website, replacing its homepage with a banner bearing the name of Muhammad. Allegedly, the website was targeted after a Dutch church announced plans to screen "Innocence of Muslims." "Soly" belongs to a group of Egyptian hackers that includes "Red Virus," "I-hmx," "Mego," and "H311 C0D3."
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