The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has thwarted 85 attempted cyberattacks by Iranian operatives targeting Israeli civilians over recent months, security officials revealed on Thursday.
The campaign, which appears to be escalating, has focused on gathering personal data to potentially support future physical attacks inside Israel.
In coordination with the National Cyber Directorate, the Shin Bet identified a noticeable increase in online infiltration attempts aimed at individuals in sensitive or public-facing positions. Among those targeted were senior officials in the defense establishment, political figures, journalists, academics, and media professionals.
The attackers sought access to private devices such as mobile phones, computers, and email accounts, with the goal of extracting information including addresses, social connections, and routine travel routes.
Authorities believe the purpose of this surveillance is to enable Iranian elements to plan attacks within Israel, possibly by leveraging locally recruited operatives.
According to the Shin Bet, many of the attacks began with seemingly innocuous messages sent via platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or email. These messages were often tailored to appear relevant to the recipient’s background or profession in order to avoid raising suspicion.
Iranian cyberattacks and hacking methods
One frequently used method involved sending a link to what appeared to be a Google Meet session, which directed the target to a fake login page. If the victim entered their credentials, the attackers gained access to their Google account and associated data, including emails, saved passwords, location history, and cloud-stored media.
In other cases, malware was embedded in documents or disguised as applications presented as legitimate files for reading or review. A Shin Bet official said that such activity reflects Iran’s broader strategy of attempting to harm Israelis at the personal level.
“We continue to see unrelenting attempts by hostile entities to infiltrate and damage the lives of individuals,” the official said. “These cyberattacks can be avoided with vigilance, responsible behavior, and caution online – especially by refraining from clicking on unfamiliar links.”
The Shin Bet stated that it would maintain close cooperation with other security agencies to track, identify, and disrupt Iranian cyber operations before they can achieve their objectives.