The emblem of the Israeli security agency Shin Bet
Israel’s Shin Bet security service has reported that in recent months, it has detected about 200 attempts by Iranian hackers to attack Israeli politicians, academics and media outlets. This is stated in a statement released on Monday.
The cyberattacks were carried out through phishing attempts aimed at gaining access to the emails, computers or smartphones of the targeted individuals. The attackers sought to obtain confidential information, including personal addresses or locations of the victims.
The hackers used fake applications or websites that required the entry of personal data. The information obtained could have been used to organise attacks through the involvement of agent cells established in Israel.
Shin Bet also noted that the service has recently prevented nine attempts by Israelis to carry out operations in favour of Iran. These operations could have included espionage, data transmission or coordination of actions in the country.
Iran’s cyberattacks reflect the intensification of its hybrid war against Israel. Shin Bet stressed that the attacks are aimed at people who have influence on state policy and society in order to destabilise the situation and gain a strategic advantage.
Due to the identified threats, Shin Bet urges Israelis to be careful not to open suspicious emails, download unknown applications, and report any attempts to access their data.
This is further proof that Israel continues to be at the centre of the global cyber-espionage warfare, which requires constant readiness for new challenges.
