Iranian cyberattacks on Israel surged since war, cyber chief says

The number of Iranian cyberattacks targeting Israel has surged dramatically since the US-Israeli offensive against Iran began this year, according to a senior Israeli security official. Yossi Karadi, Director General of Israel's National Cyber Directorate, told German newspaper Die Welt that Israel recorded around 1,600 hostile cyber incidents in June 2025. This figure jumped to approximately 4,800 incidents in June 2026, during Israeli military operations against Iran.

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Some groups are very skilled. We can handle them, but we have to take them seriously. Unlike in the kinetic realm, there's no ceasefire in cyberspace.

"Some groups are very skilled," Karadi stated. "We can handle them, but we have to take them seriously. Unlike in the kinetic realm, there's no ceasefire in cyberspace." He noted that the attacks were directed at systems used by Israel's critical infrastructure, central organizations, small to medium-sized companies, and the public, with law and accounting firms being among the smaller entities targeted.

Karadi emphasized that Israel has so far managed to prevent attacks on critical infrastructure. However, companies that were easier to penetrate sometimes had their computer systems wiped. In February, the INCD and Shin Bet had warned the public about a campaign of hundreds of sophisticated cyberattacks against Israeli officials, academics, and media figures since mid-2025.

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So far - and hopefully it stays that way - we've managed to fend off attacks on critical infrastructure.

Israel is actively developing both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, a process that involves significant international collaboration. "The cooperation with the US is still excellent. We are still helping each other," Karadi said, adding that Israel recently signed an agreement to establish a permanent cyber liaison with Germany.

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The cooperation with the US is still excellent. We are still helping each other.