“Cyber terrorists” try to attack Israel’s computer infrastructure on a daily basis, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday. So far, Israel is winning, but more time is needed to build the “high-tech defense system.”
“There is an increase in attempts to carry out cyber attacks, and every day there are incidents of attempts to infiltrate into government computers,” he said.
“Last year, I established a national cyber headquarters to block these attempts,” he added. "Just as we have an Iron Dome system against missiles and barbed wire fences against infiltrators and terrorists, we will have a defense system against cyber attacks,” but added, “It takes time.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu also congratulated the IDF on its “pinpoint targeting” of Gaza terrorists Saturday night and early Sunday.
He told the Cabinet that the worldwide Jihad movement is increasing efforts to attack Israel, and the military is mounting an intensive counterterrorism effort.
On Friday, former United States official James Lewis told AFP that Washington believed Iran was behind a major cyber attack on Saudi Arabia's state oil company and a Qatari gas firm in August.
According to Lewis, who has worked for the State Department and other government agencies on national security and cyber issues, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a veiled warning to Tehran that Washington was ready to take preemptive action to protect American computer networks.
Cyber attacks against Iran in recent years have slowed down its nuclear program, which the United States and Israel believe could be converted to