Israel Thwarts 200 Iranian Cyberattack Attempts Aimed at Prominent Civilians

The Israel Security Agency has uncovered approximately 200 Iranian cyberattack attempts targeting Israeli civilians, including prominent figures. The hackers aimed to access personal information for potential assassination plots. Authorities have thwarted several attempts, and Iranian agents use platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to deceive their targets.

On Monday, the Israel Security Agency, known as Shin Bet, disclosed the uncovering of about 200 Iranian cyberattack attempts on Israeli civilians, including notable figures. These attacks were intended to access personal data, such as home addresses and frequent locations.

A Shin Bet official emphasized that this represents a dangerous extension of Iran's campaign against Israel, directed towards facilitating assassination attempts using locally recruited operatives. Over recent months, several such missions have been thwarted by Israeli authorities, including attempts by Israelis recruited by Iran.

The Shin Bet highlighted that Iranian operatives usually reach out to targets via WhatsApp, Telegram, or email, crafting specific cover stories to persuade individuals to download malicious apps or visit phony websites. This allows hackers to take personal email credentials to breach victims' accounts. In a recent warning, the Shin Bet alerted targeted individuals of the campaign's scale. Arrests made in October included a man spying on a scientist marked for assassination and others involved in plots against significant national and academic figures.

(With inputs from agencies.)