Increased Cyberattacks on Israel Linked to Hezbollah and Russian Hackers

Recent developments in the ongoing conflict involving Israel have taken a new turn, with a significant increase in cyberattacks, as reported by the Chief Technology Officer of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a cybersecurity firm founded in Israel. The attacks, which have intensified since the outbreak of the war with Hamas, are being attributed to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon and hackers with connections to Russia.

Dorit Dor, the CTO of Check Point, shared these insights during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Dor highlighted the cyber capabilities of Iran, stating, “While a lot of the war right now is with Hamas, the entity that has significant strength in cyberspace is Iran, which is activating Hezbollah in this domain.”

Since the onset of hostilities on October 7th, there has been a noticeable surge in cyberattacks aimed at Israeli targets. According to Dor, there has been a 20% increase in these attacks, with defense-related companies experiencing a spike as high as 50%. Despite the increased frequency of these attacks, the tactics employed remain familiar, including distributed denial-of-service attacks and intelligence gathering.

Dor also noted a rise in cyber activities originating from Russia against Israeli targets. However, she pointed out that it remains unclear whether these attacks are state-sponsored or the work of opportunistic hackers.

The conflict, which escalated following an invasion by Palestinian militants into southern Israel, has resulted in significant casualties. Government figures cite approximately 1,200 fatalities in Israel, while health officials in the Hamas-controlled Gaza report over 24,000 Palestinian deaths due to Israel’s air and ground offensives.

In addition to the Gaza front, there have been almost daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah along the Lebanese border, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Israeli civilians from northern towns.

The alliance led by Iran, which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, has been under scrutiny. Both Hamas and the military wing of Hezbollah are recognized as terrorist organizations by the United States and the European Union. Recent events include a foiled cyberattack on an Israeli hospital, attributed to Hezbollah and Iran by Israeli authorities, and Iran’s accusation against Israel and the US for cyber disruptions impacting its gasoline stations.