We take a look into the dark corners of the internet where cyber threats hide and bring you an interview with the infamous Team R70. This secretive hacker group has gained attention for their ongoing attacks during the Israel-Hamas conflict and they continue their operations now even in Latin America. Recently, we spoke with Azael, a key member of Team R70, who shared insights on the group’s goals, methods, and plans. This talk gives a rare glimpse into how a hacker group that claims to act independently and with a clear purpose operates.
Typo errors in the answers have been rectified, while the sentences remain unaltered.
Q-1: Can you provide an overview of Team R70, including its founding principles, objectives, and core mission as a hacker group advocating for certain causes?
– Azael: “The Team R70 is a high-level hacker group that aims to promote principles and actions independent of external entities. In our operations, cyber attacks are carried out with the aim of harming organizations and individuals, resulting in financial losses and breaches of privacy and information security. I am of the opinion that the primary motivation of all hacker groups is to cause harm, regardless of the reasons they may claim.”
Q-2: Is Team R70 affiliated with any specific organizations, countries, or factions? If not, how does Team R70 maintain its independence, and what actions or campaigns has it undertaken to demonstrate this independence?
– Azael: “The group is mostly composed of members from Yemen, with the addition of a Brazilian member (me). Our high-standard cyber attacks target large companies and are formalized through internal procedures, without the interference of other groups in our decisions. The strategic approach of independence and autonomy of Team R70 aims to ensure the effectiveness and secrecy of our operations, allowing the group to operate efficiently and without external restrictions.”
Q-3: Can you describe the collaborative efforts between Team R70 and other groups in various countries? How do these collaborations contribute to achieving shared goals and objectives?
– Azael: “We do not seek assistance from other groups, but rather we are approached for cooperation by them. Our team carries out its activities independently, avoiding overlap of functions with other teams. However, we are available to help other groups upon request. An example of this is our participation in High Society, where we act exclusively to provide assistance.”
The group, which asserts they operate independently and without outside influence, is also a member of the High Society collective, seemingly tied to the Russian hacktivism sphere. High Society was founded with the stated purpose of opposing NATO and Europe.
Q-4: What are the primary tactics and procedures that Team R70 employs in its operations?
– Azael: “Our main current strategies are focused on DDoS attacks, defaces, and infiltrations. Our DDoS attack system stands out for its use of quantum computing, developed by me. This robust system achieves the highest levels of effectiveness in DDoS attacks, being one of the strongest ever created in all of Latin America. Additionally, our attack and defense system, based on military encryption, is capable of causing significant damage to the servers of victims. This same system was responsible for disrupting the operation of Brazil’s largest TV streaming service (GLOBOPLAY APP), as well as government systems (GOV.BR ACCOUNT), and also affected the website of one of the largest airports in Latin America (SÃO PAULO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – GRU), as well as other major companies. In our upcoming operations, we will be introducing the spread of ransomware through our group and will release more information soon.”
Q-5: Considering that the group has multiple members, who is the group’s leader? Can you talk about the hierarchy of the group?
– Azael: “The Team R70 is mostly composed of Yemeni members, currently consisting of over 15 individuals. I stand out as the only Brazilian in the group, with our leader being a Yemeni member known by various names on social media.”
Q-6: How does Team R70 decide on specific targets for its activities? Can you provide insights into this decision-making process?
– Azael: “The Team R70 has full autonomy for operational decisions, acting independently in situations of injustice or aggression against the country (Yemen) or its members. In such cases, we initiate combat operations exclusively planned by the team, without interference from other groups. Our commitment is to defend the interests of Team R70, without submitting to ideologies of external collectives.”
Q-7: How does Team R70 evaluate the impact and effectiveness of its actions in terms of media influence, advocacy for social causes, or achieving specific objectives?
– Azael: “We believe that the wide media coverage of cyber attacks plays a crucial role in putting pressure on authorities and companies to take cyber actions seriously. The dissemination of information is crucial to raise awareness and promote necessary discussions in order to implement the social corrections needed in response to cyber attacks. In this sense, information stands out as a powerful tool to drive transformations in society. It is evident that without information and awareness, change is not possible.”
Q-8: Have there been any recent changes in Team R70’s stance or relationships? Can you comment on any potential collaborations with other groups or entities?
– Azael: “No! We inform that Team R70 reaffirms its posture of maintaining operations aligned with the well-being and principles established by the group, grounded in the essential loyalty to its homeland nation (Yemen), without interference from any external partners, including not following ideologies propagated by Anonymous, which are considered inappropriate.”
Q-9: Can you briefly talk about the story behind the recent intense posts about Brazil? Who is Etersec, and what is the basis of your dispute?
– Azael: “In the case of Etersec, partners were targeted by the group’s attacks. In response, we decided to take the initiative to disclose relevant information about the group’s main leader, such as addresses, phone numbers, and personal documents. In addition, we carried out invasions and took down websites of organizations such as the Civil Police from various regions of Brazil, the Federal Police, Courts of Justice, and even the Interpol, in order to draw attention to the intentional exposure of the Etersec leadership. Additionally, we compiled a complete dossier of 40+ pages containing all the evidence of the individual’s actions and involvement. Recently, a second member of the group was exposed, and new disclosures followed by cyber attacks against authorities are scheduled to highlight the ongoing exposures. All information is openly shared with the public on our Telegram channel.”
Q-10: What are Team R70’s future plans or objectives in the hacktivism landscape? How does the group plan to adapt to changes in geopolitical or socio-political dynamics?
– Azael: “In the near future, operations will be carried out in several countries, including Yemen. Over the next few months, a cyber attack is planned on the television broadcast of a specific channel in Yemen, which supports aggression against this country. Additionally, actions will be taken to spread ransomware, conduct DDoS attacks, and social engineering operations, with the goal of installing malicious applications and programs in different countries to coordinate our operations.”
Q-11: Your Telegram channel has been sharing activities focused on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and Palestinian rights for a long time. Can we say that your focus has shifted to other issues recently?
– Yemeni founding leader: “The mentioned channel was of a restricted nature and not accessible to all. I was tasked with the narration, attracting an audience of over 100 people who were participating in hacking courses and various productions. However, in light of the ongoing conflict in Palestine, I decided to take action. I initiated a series of DDoS attacks, however, these actions did not last long. Subsequently, I expanded my activities to India, carrying out the invasion of the Biodiversity Council. From that moment on, I started to coordinate and strengthen the group of hackers that I lead.”
Q-12: There will be a question about your Telegram channel again. It seems that the channel was founded in 2022, but there is no activity until the end of April 2023. What was your motivation when you first established the channel, and what was the reason for the gap?
– Azael: “I would like to add that initially, the channel was created with restricted access and we had not formed a hacker group, it was just a dissemination channel. Therefore, during the mentioned period, we did not have relevant content to share on the page. Only after the events in Palestine, an initial purpose was established for the real creation of our group, now known as Team R70.”
First message of the channel as translated by Google Translate: “We will announce the plan when the American forces entered and the days passed between us.”
Q-13: Is there any activity or existence of the R_70 Team before the Telegram channel? What was your goal before the conflict in Gaza?
– Azael: “No. The initial goal of the Telegram channel was to provide information and restricted access to hacking courses. Before its creation, there was no external interference to Team R70. The group’s consolidation and growth only happened after a long period of existence on Telegram, driven by the feeling of revolt of those who frequented the channel.”
Q-14: Can we also talk about a potential financial motivation? For example, Anonymous Sudan, a threat group with an Islamic tendency, seemed to carry out its initial activities for political purposes, it is possible to say that they later turned to financial endeavors. Will we witness a similar scenario for R_70?
– Azael: “Of course! We are developing advanced exploration tools, including DDoS bots, based on quantum computing and state-of-the-art cryptography. We are committed to conducting excellent work on this project and will soon be able to make such tools available on the commercial market.”
Q-15: You are aware that your activities are considered cybercrime in the eyes of international law. Do you think that you are causing harm to innocent people, at least indirectly?
– Azael: “We do not consider our activities as criminal. In fact, hacker groups in general share this same view. The actions we undertake are aimed at alerting against any threat or attack directed towards us or our beliefs. We emphasize that, although we have sensitive information in our possession, we choose not to disclose it for various reasons, including criminal nature issues. All our actions are strategically studied and validated for the goal to be achieved. I conclude by asking: do you believe in the innocence of the United States and Israel?”
Q-16: Finally, what distinguishes a self-claimed hacktivist group like R_70 from a cybercrime group?
– Azael: “Our actions are based on our beliefs. Members of groups who call themselves “hacktivists” strongly defend what they believe in. As we have discussed before, it is undeniable that all actions aim to cause some kind of harm in some way. By attacking a website, system, or person, there are inevitably adverse consequences. Therefore, in the end, everyone is seeking to defend their beliefs. Similarly, we are no different in that sense and will continue to fight for our ideologies.”
Thus, we have come to the end of the interview. Our interview with Team R70’s Azael provides a sobering look at the motivations and operations of a prominent hacker group. With their tactics and ideological motivations, Team R70 continues to challenge major institutions while maintaining a complex stance on their activities. As cyber threats evolve, understanding the perspectives of such groups is crucial for developing effective countermeasures and fostering a deeper awareness of the cybersecurity landscape.
The post Inside Team R70: An Interview with a Notorious Hacker Collective appeared first on Daily Dark Web.