Shin Bet finds 200 Iranian cyberattacks on Israeli personalities

The hacking was conducted via phishing attempts against various individuals, including Israeli politicians, academics, and media personalities.

 A smartphone with a displayed Iranian flag with the word "Cyberattack" and binary codes over it is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken February 23, 2023. (photo credit: DADO RUVIC/REUTERS)
A smartphone with a displayed Iranian flag with the word "Cyberattack" and binary codes over it is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken February 23, 2023.
(photo credit: DADO RUVIC/REUTERS)

In recent months, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has uncovered approximately 200 efforts made by Iranian hackers to target civilians, the Shin Bet revealed on Monday.

The hacking was conducted via phishing attempts against various individuals, including politicians, academics, and media personalities, the security agency added.

The hackers reportedly sought access to the emails, computers, or smartphones of the individuals they were interested in hacking. Such operations would allow them to access information such as personal addresses or places where these individuals reside.

Data would serve to attack individuals

The Shin Bet said this would be done by forcing the attacked user to download an app or transfer them to a website requiring them to enter personal data.

A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (credit: KACPER PEMPEL/ILLUSTRATION PHOTO/REUTERS)
A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (credit: KACPER PEMPEL/ILLUSTRATION PHOTO/REUTERS)

The data could then be used to carry out attacks against those individuals through cells that were enlisted in Israel.

The Shin Bet added that it had thwarted nine attempts made by Israelis to carry out operations against the country on behalf of Iran.