Yesterday (Wednesday), Israeli security officials revealed an unprecedented surge in attempted Iranian-linked cyberattacks, particularly targeting senior government and security officials, journalists, academics, and other public figures.
In a joint statement, the National Cyber Security Directorate and the Shin Bet reported that hundreds of attempts were monitored over the past year, with a notable increase recorded in recent months, especially since the outbreak of direct conflict between Iran and Israel in June 2025.
Israeli authorities have suggested that these cyberattacks rely on “targeted phishing” techniques, in which attackers impersonate victims’ acquaintances, with the goal of encouraging them to reveal personal information or download malicious files.
Security officials acknowledged that the purpose of these attempts was to “gather personal and professional information that could be used for terrorist and espionage facilitation and influence activities.”
thwarted hundreds of such attacks
The National Cyber Security Directorate and Shin Bet explained that they succeeded in stopping hundreds of these attacks through a series of measures, including sending targeted threat alerts, conducting scans to detect exceptions, blocking and removing unknown access to accounts, and providing guidance to strengthen account and personal security, as well as awareness campaigns that provide advanced security tools and guidance.
Security officials acknowledged that the primary purpose of these operations was to collect sensitive personal and professional information that could later be exploited for espionage, extortion, influence operations, and even in furtherance of terrorist activities.
Israeli authorities explained that a series of measures have been taken to combat this threat, including sending targeted warnings to individuals at risk, conducting proactive security checks on accounts, blocking and removing unknown access, enabling advanced protection programs by companies such as Google and WhatsApp, and launching intensive awareness campaigns targeting the general public and high-risk groups.
Israeli authorities urged all citizens, especially those with sensitive accounts, to enable two-factor authentication, use strong and unique passwords, and enable secure recovery options for their accounts.
