Cyberwarfare has the potential to disrupt critical infrastructure, commercial networks and global supply chains, and during the 12-day Israel-Iran war, cyberattacks were being carried out in parallel with the exchange of fire. Fortunately, a ceasefire was reached on 24 June, which helped nip the conflict in the bud before it led to dangerous escalation.
Iran and Israel are home to some of the world's most skilled hackers. Radware, a US-based cybersecurity firm, reported a 700% increase in Iranian cyberattacks against Israeli targets since Israel launched its initial missile strike on Tehran on 13 June.
According to Israel-based Check Point Software Technologies, Iranian-linked actors launched several disinformation campaigns in Israel. One such campaign involved a text message sent to thousands of Israelis warning that fuel supplies would be halted at gas stations for 24 hours. Another message falsely warned of a possible terrorist attack at a bomb shelter, urging residents to avoid the area. Both messages were crafted to appear as if they came from Israel's Home Front Command, but were in fact fake.
On the Israeli side, a pro-Israel hacking group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Iran's Bank Sepah, causing widespread outages. It claimed it "destroyed" all of the bank's data. Israel has a long history of sophisticated cyber operations, most notably the Stuxnet attack that targeted Iran's nuclear programme. Its intelligence units, particularly Unit 8200, are also known for advanced cyber espionage capabilities.
