Israel Foils 200 Iranian Cyberattacks Targeting Civilians

The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) exposed about 200 Iranian cyberattack attempts aimed at Israeli civilians. The attackers sought personal information to execute assassination plots. Authorities thwarted several attempts, and warned that Iranian agents lure targets through digital communications to install malware or steal credentials.

In a major revelation, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) disclosed on Monday that it uncovered approximately 200 attempts by Iranian cyber operatives to infiltrate the digital lives of Israeli civilians. These attacks targeted prominent individuals, aiming to acquire sensitive information like home addresses and personal connections.

The Shin Bet emphasized that these cyber incursions represent a serious new dimension in Iran's hostile campaign against Israel, with the ultimate goal of conducting assassination attacks. The agency highlighted that, in several instances, Israeli nationals had been recruited by Iranian operatives to fulfill these deadly missions, although authorities managed to prevent nine such attempts.

Iranian agents, according to the Shin Bet, largely rely on digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or email to make initial contact with their targets. They employ fabricated cover stories to engage their victims, eventually persuading them to download malicious applications or provide access to their email accounts, thereby compromising their devices or data. The Shin Bet has alerted all affected individuals and, in October, arrested several persons implicated in gathering intelligence for Iran, including plots against a nuclear scientist and a city mayor.

(With inputs from agencies.)