Senior IDF officers, elected officials, journalists, academics, and public figures—these are just some of the individuals in the crosshairs of Iranian cyber operatives, according to a new warning issued today (Thursday) by the ISA (Shin Bet).
The agency describes a growing trend of sophisticated phishing attacks by Iranian entities, aimed squarely at the heart of Israeli society. The objective is not only to gather sensitive information, but also to lay the groundwork for potential targeted terror attacks against individuals in Israel.
“Well-known media figures”
Since the beginning of the year, 85 cyberattacks have already been thwarted—each one targeting the devices or email accounts of Israelis considered valuable for intelligence purposes. Iranian hackers are attempting to extract home addresses, location data, and information about personal networks, in preparation for forming local terror cells to carry out attacks.
Most of the phishing messages have been disguised as correspondence from government offices, well-known media figures, or reputable institutions—each one carefully crafted to align with the recipient’s background or field of interest.
One of the most common methods uncovered involves sending a fake link to a Google Meet call, where the user is asked to enter a username and password. As soon as the information is entered, it is stolen by the attacker. This grants the hackers access to Google accounts, email, photos, location data, documents, and even additional saved passwords. Other methods include seemingly legitimate apps or downloadable files that contain spyware hidden deep in the code.
The Shin Bet emphasizes that these operations are ongoing, in cooperation with the Israel National Cyber Directorate, and that the goal is to block the attacks as early as the initial contact.
“This is an intelligence war on the civilian front, and the public must remain alert,” said a Shin Bet official. He added that vigilance by individual citizens has already prevented serious cases, and that public education on safe online behavior serves as a critical first line of defense.
At the same time, the Shin Bet promises to continue actively detecting and disrupting these attack attempts. “Iran is waging a sophisticated psychological and technological war against us,” the agency said in a statement. “This battle is no less dangerous than physical warfare—and it demands full cooperation from the public and all civilian institutions in the country.”
