Hacktivist group Handala has claimed to have stolen more than two terabytes of data from Israeli firms. [Getty]
There has been a surge in cyber threats against Israel since it launched a war against Iran, with hacker groups linked to Tehran mounting a wave of attacks against Israeli infrastructure and defence firms.
Israel-based cybersecurity firm Radware said on Sunday it had recorded a 700 percent increase in attacks since 13 June, when Israel began its unprecedented attack against Iranian nuclear and military sites.
The data indicate a “significant escalation in malicious network activity targeting Israeli infrastructure,” it said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“The 700% surge in malicious activity within just two days stems from cyber retaliation operations by Iranian state actors and pro-Iranian hacker groups, including DDoS attacks, infiltration attempts targeting critical infrastructure, data theft, and malware distribution campaigns,” said Ron Meyran, Radware’s vice president of cyber threat intelligence.
Cyber threat intelligence firm Falcon Feeds has identified more than 150 groups involved in mounting attacks against Israel and Iran, with more than 100 targeting Israeli infrastructure.
Hacktivist group Mr Hamza has claimed to have targeted the websites of more than a dozen Israeli, American and British defence and security companies, as well as the Israeli military.
The Iran-linked Handala group claimed over the weekend to have stolen more than two terabytes of data from several Israel firms, including the country’s largest energy company, Delek and construction firm Y.G. New Idan.
The group, named after the famous Palestinian cartoon created by Naji al-Ali, also claimed it had hacked into an Israeli telecoms company and sent emails to its customers warning of a massive missile attack.
Radware said it expects cyberattacks to increase as the war continues, with groups targeting government websites, banks, telecom firms, and critical infrastructure. Â
“Iranian state-sponsored cyber groups are expected to intensify their operations aimed at disrupting infrastructure and psychological influence,” the firm said.
Since starting the war in the early hours on Friday, Israel has bombed hundreds of targets across Iran, including nuclear sites, military facilities, and energy infrastructure. It has killed dozens of senior military officials and nuclear scientists, as well as more than 200 civilians.
Iran has responded by firing barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel, hitting critical infrastructure and residential areas.
