Rules of engagement issued to hacktivists after chaos BBC News

pThe International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC has for the first time published rules of engagement for civilian hackers involved in conflictsppThe organisation warns unprecedented numbers of people are joining patriotic cybergangs since the Ukraine invasion ppThe eight rules include bans on attacks on hospitals hacking tools that spread uncontrollably and threats that engender terror among civiliansppBut some cybergangs have told BBC News they plan to ignore themppThe ICRC responsible for overseeing and monitoring the rules of war is sending the new rules to hacking groups particularly involved in the Ukraine war It is also warning hackers their actions can endanger lives including their own if deemed to make them a legitimate military targetppPatriotic hacking has risen over the past decade The ICRC statement highlights proSyrian cyberattacks on Western news media in 2013 ppBut the worrying trend accelerated by the RussiaUkraine conflict is now spreading globally ICRC legal adviser Dr Tilman Rodenhäuser saysppSome experts consider civilian hacking activity as cybervigilantism and argue that their operations are technically not sophisticated and unlikely to cause significant effects he saysppHowever some of the groups were seeing on both sides are large and these armies have disrupted banks companies pharmacies hospitals railway networks and civilian government servicesppBased on international humanitarian law the rules areppThe ICRC is also imploring governments to restrain hacking and enforce existing lawsppThe Ukraine conflict has blurred the boundaries between civilian and military hacking with civilian groups such as the IT Army of Ukraine being set up and encouraged by the government to attack Russian targetsppThe IT Army of Ukraine which has 160000 members on its Telegram channel also targets public services such as railway systems and banksppIts spokesman told BBC News that the group will make best efforts to follow the rules even though it may place them at a disadvantage to their adversaries The spokesman added that attacks on healthcare targets has been a longstanding red line alreadyppLarge groups in Russia have similarly attacked Ukraine and allied countries including disruptive but temporary attacks such as knocking websites offline on hospitalsppWhy should I listen to the Red Cross a representative of Killnet which has 90000 supporters on its Telegram channel asked BBC NewsppProRussian groups are accused of working directly for or in conjunction with the Kremlin But Killnet strongly denies thisppMeanwhile a representative of Anonymous Sudan which in recent months has begun attacking technology companies and government services it says are critical of Sudan or Islam told BBC News the new rules were not viable and that breaking them for the groups cause is unavoidableppAnd a highprofile member of the Anonymous collective told BBC News it had always operated based on several principles including rules cited by the ICRC but had now lost faith in the organisation and would not be following its new rulesppUpdate 6th October The IT Army of Ukraine spokesperson contacted the BBC to confirm it will make best efforts to follow the rulesppSign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inboxppMeet the hacker armies on Ukraines cyber front lineppAnonymous How hackers are trying to undermine PutinppInflation falls to 46 as government pledge met earlyppEyewitness says Israeli forces interrogating people inside Gazas main hospitalppNHS promises to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040ppHow David Cameron made his shock comebackppWhy does the UK want to send asylum seekers to RwandappHostages fates haunt Israel as Gaza war intensifiesppArab and Muslim leaders blame West for Gaza miseryppHow Dame Kelly Holmes won her toughest race to be herselfppGlastonbury 2024 10 tips for getting ticketsppThe surgeons battling to save young victims of knife crimeppPru Tim Dementia wont break our 60year love storyppCould Nintendos new rules smash its esports sceneppCelebrating the life and work of a geniusppThe BBC honours the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares First Folio with a dedicated collectionppHow an innocent DNA test revealed an unsolved mysteryppA sons quest to learn about his late father unravels a shocking criminal cold caseppThe baffling death of a talented mathematicianppHow did a Welsh codebreakers body end up inside a bag in his bath in 2010ppInvestigating the strange tale of the 1990s BSE epidemicppJoin Lucy Proctor as she examines the persistent scientific mysteries surrounding mad cow diseaseppThe secret world of passport security VideoThe secret world of passport securityppAliens in plain sight AudioAliens in plain sightppWho will outwit and outlast the rest VideoWho will outwit and outlast the restppMy first show had an audience of six AudioMy first show had an audience of sixpp 2023 BBC The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites Read about our approach to external linkingp