Cyberattacks: The New Battleground in Morocco-Algeria Rivalry
The continuous rivalry between Morocco and Algeria has escalated into cyberspace battles, as hackers from each nation have targeted governmental sites, media platforms, and confidential information. According to DIWIDA.NEWS’s summary of cyber events from the past fifteen years, many such attacks were responses to significant political shifts.
The rivalry between Moroccans and Algerians has moved past mere online disagreements about their shared culture, cuisine, and style, extending into the sphere of cyber-attacks. The tensions between these nations have escalated to include digital confrontations, as both Moroccan and Algerian hackers have targeted governmental sites, social media platforms, and news organizations.
A notable recent event involved Algerian hackers releasing a substantial amount of confidential information. Algerian group JabaRoot DZ initiated a sequence of cyber assaults aimed at the webpages of Morocco’s Ministry of Economic Inclusion and the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).
This assault is notable as part of an extensive sequence of reciprocal cyber-attacks between hackers from both nations—a rising tide of cyberspace warfare driven by geopolitical strains. According to DIWIDA.NEWS, which summarized cyber events between Moroccan and Algerian entities spanning the past fifteen years, many of these occurrences were tied to significant political shifts or moments of tension, like disputes over Western Sahara and Algeria’s backing of the Polisario movement.
Politicized cyber-attacks
In 2010 Following the fatal incidents at Gdim Izik where 11 Moroccan security personnel lost their lives, Moroccan cyber activists launched assaults on the websites of Algeria’s Ministry of the Interior and its national tourism office. These actions were characterized as retaliatory measures and acts of "retribution" due to the confrontations in Laayoune.
In November 2010, Moroccan hackers infiltrated the website of the Algerian Embassy in the United States, posting a Moroccan flag and the country’s national anthem as their mark.
These cyber offensives continued By 2011, Moroccan hackers had targeted multiple Algerian governmental sites, such as the one for the Algerian Tax Authority. They posted a bold statement on its main page saying, "The deterrent force of Morocco is safeguarding the paramount interests of the Kingdom." Alongside this declaration, they featured the Moroccan national slogan, “Dieu, la patrie, le roi” (God, the Country, the King), together with an image of a map of Morocco adorned with their nation’s flag.
As reported by the Algerian newspaper TSA, Moroccan hackers managed to infiltrate several financial and governmental sites, such as the Algiers Stock Exchange. In swift retaliation, Algerian hackers attacked 174 Moroccan corporate and public sector websites, posting a statement: "as an answer to some foolish Moroccans." The timing of these cyberattacks was notable because they occurred alongside a speech delivered by King Mohammed VI on the 36th commemoration of the Green March. During his address, he urged Algeria to collaborate in establishing a robust and unified Maghreb region.
In 2013, Moroccan hackers attacked the website of Algeria’s state-run TV station (ENTV) and posted messages affirming Morocco's claim over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. They allegedly compromised the Algerian stock exchange site as well on the same day. According to TSA reports, these Moroccan cyber activists often targeted several Algerian publications such as TSA itself, Le Quotidien d'Oran, and Transactions d'Algérie.
In 2014, Algerian hacker collectives hit back. As per a report According to the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis (MIPA), websites such as those belonging to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various governmental portals faced attacks carried out by Algerian hackers.
«No peace between systems»
By 2020, cyber warfare between the two countries had intensified even more. In that year, Moroccan hackers were involved in such activities. breached The Algerian Ministry of Health’s website, alongside websites affiliated with the national agency responsible for managing hydrocarbon resources, UNESCO Algeria, and various entities such as the Environmental Sector Policy Support Program, ONID, and the Mazafran Hotel.
In November 2021, Algerian hackers retaliated by attacking the CGEM (General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises) website, altering its content to display an Algerian flag along with the statement: "No peace between systems." As a counteraction, the MoroccoHackTeam directed their efforts at the Algerian Ministry of Finance’s official site.
earlier in the year, Moroccan hackers infiltrated approximately 280 Algerian websites, which included several linked to the government. This cyberattack reportedly occurred as a reaction to remarks made about King Mohammed VI by Al-Shorouk TV, which were considered "offensive."
The cyber war carried on into 2022. In March, the Algerian Ministry of Justice alleged that Moroccan hackers were responsible for compromising Its official Twitter handle temporarily posted pro-Russian statements and provocative allegations targeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prior to the removal of these tweets.
In August of the same year, the website for Dhar El Mahraz University of Sciences in Fez (FSDM) was compromised by an Algerian youth who managed to hack it. Then, in January 2023, the site belonging to the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco (BNRM) faced a breach as well. The intruders posted this statement: "Our aim is to send a message to Moroccan hackers: cease releasing Algerian data and we will halt our actions accordingly."
Soon thereafter, sensitive information from Morocco's Ministry of National Education was made public, revealing details about almost one million students. In response, numerous records pertaining to Algerian students were also released online, as reported by various media outlets.
An alternative battlefield
The continuous cyber battle persists in jeopardizing confidential information and interfering with digital frameworks within both nations. Specialists characterize these events as a novel type of strife.
In an article titled A Cyber Conflict Between Algeria and Morocco African affairs researcher Hamdi Bashir contends that this increasing surge of cyberattacks marks a novel stage of asymmetric aggression. He cautions that such assaults may intensify, focusing on governmental networks, critical infrastructures, public utilities, defense installations, and economic domains—especially those related to petroleum and natural gas.
In a comparable outcome, the cybersecurity firm focusing on managing external threat landscapes, CYFIRMA According to a 2024 report on cyberattacks in Morocco, recent incidents in the country "have emerged as potent tools for causing harm and exerting influence."
These assaults go beyond political matters, revealing Morocco's susceptibility to being targeted this way. MIPA analysis The findings regarding the accomplishments and obstacles encountered in cybersecurity within Morocco highlight that the changing landscape of cyber threats "demands ongoing adjustment, alignment with global standards, and investments in technology, personnel, as well as both domestic and international collaboration to maintain a strong cybersecurity framework."
