Yossi Karadi, head of Israel’s National Cyber Authority, warned on Tuesday that Iran is intensifying its efforts to damage Israel in cyberspace.
Speaking at an event, Karadi stated: “I truly believe we are managing to change our children’s future. I see a better future and I think we deserve it." He added that Israeli cyber defenses have prevented the enemy from achieving significant successes against critical infrastructure and have blocked attempts to disrupt the economy’s continuity.
“This is a war that is ongoing all the time. It is not over," he emphasized.
During Operation Roaring Lion, the Cyber Directorate recorded more than 50 offensive cyberattacks against Israel. Karadi noted that these attacks were carried out by approximately 20 different offensive groups, involving hundreds of hackers.
He revealed that around 50 Israeli organizations and companies were completely wiped digitally in recent enemy cyberattacks. These entities are now working to restore their data from backups.
Karadi explained that the attackers are not only focused on causing immediate damage but are also heavily engaged in intelligence gathering. The primary targets include engineering firms and civilian infrastructure. “The question is not whether they are collecting information," he said, “but when that information will mature into an operational purpose and actual use."
The attacks are also directed at members of Israel’s security forces, defense industries, and the academic sector. A particularly concerning detail highlighted by Karadi is that hackers are targeting not only the primary individuals but also their family members.
Since the beginning of the war, the National Cyber Directorate’s operations center - reachable at 119 - has received 4,019 inquiries. About half of these involved attempts at social engineering. “These are only the reported incidents," Karadi clarified. “If you want to reach the real numbers, you would need multiples of these statistics. Not everyone reports."
He specifically mentioned an Iranian cyberattack that took over digital signs at Israel Railways stations, displaying panic-inducing messages such as “The subway is not safe right now."
The Directorate has identified around 50 attempts by Iran to seize control of cameras across the country. Karadi disclosed that there is a combined campaign by Hezbollah and Iran targeting cameras in strategic locations. “There are even some active incidents that we are dealing with right now," he said. “To be honest, the enemy has had successes in taking over cameras, but not ones that have strategic impact. Everything happens because of low protection levels and weak passwords."
In conclusion, Karadi warned that Iran is striving to create an image of victory in cyberspace and is investing significant effort in doing so.
“I don’t sleep at night," he admitted. “We see them trying again and again to attack energy, water facilities, and the financial sector."
He stressed that even if the kinetic war with Iran and Hezbollah ends, there will be no ceasefire in cyberspace. “We have seen this before - on the day after the ceasefire of Operation ‘Rising Lion’ took effect, the number of cyberattacks on Israel doubled. We must be prepared for that this time as well."