Suspected Iranian Cyberattack on Israel Triggers Sirens

Tech Monitor – June 20th 2022

By Claudia Glover

A suspected cyberattack caused missile attack sirens to sound in two cities in Israel this weekend. Although initially believed to be a malfunction, Israel’s cybersecurity agency said today that it believes the false alarms were triggered by a cyberattack.

Local reports have speculated that the attack originated from Iran. Cyberattacks between Israel and Iran are intensifying, with civilian targets coming under increasing fire.

On Saturday evening, missile attack warning sirens were activated in Jerusalem and Eilat, and rang for almost an hour. The Israeli Defence Force reassured civilians that the sirens were a false alarm, which it attributed to a ‘malfunction’.

This morning, however, the Israel National Cyber Directorate confirmed reports that it suspects the alarms were caused by a cyberattack on the municipal alarm systems.

Following the news, the Israel Internet Association called on local authorities to bolster their cybersecurity defences. The incident revealed “how much damage to civilian systems disrupts the lives of Israeli citizens, and a gap between Israel’s excellent cyber defence capabilities on infrastructure that it defines as critical and the deficient protection of other civilian infrastructures,” it said.

Escalating cyberattacks between Israel and Iran

Local reports have speculated that the cyberattack was carried out by Iran, as cyberattacks from Israel’s geopolitical rival have been mounting. Last week, Israeli security provider Check Point revealed a spearphishing operation by Iranian hackers that targeted high-ranking Israeli officials, including former foreign minister Tzipi Livni.

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