Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The recent conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran was fought with drones, fighter jets, missiles, and other military equipment. But another battle has also been playing out online. According to Israeli officials, cyberattacks attributed to Iran against Israel have surged over the past year, with thousands of incidents recorded in June 2026. The number of cyberattacks attributed to Iran targeting Israel has risen dramatically since the launch of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran this year, according to a senior Israeli security official.
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Yossi Karadi, Director General of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, told German newspaper Die Welt that Israeli authorities recorded around 1,600 hostile cyber incidents during Israeli military operations against Iran in June 2025. In June 2026, however, that number reportedly jumped to around 4,800 incidents.
“Some groups are very skilled,” Karadi said, according to the German text of the interview. “We can handle them, but we have to take them seriously. Unlike in the kinetic realm, there’s no ceasefire in cyberspace.”
What are the hackers targeting?
According to Karadi, the attacks have targeted systems used by Israel’s critical infrastructure, central organisations, small and medium-sized businesses, and even members of the public.
He said law firms and accounting firms were among the smaller organisations that had been targeted.
“So far — and hopefully it stays that way — we’ve managed to fend off attacks on critical infrastructure,” he said.
Iran has typically denied carrying out hacking campaigns against other countries while also reporting cyberattacks on itself.
AI is reportedly becoming part of the cyber arsenal
Cyberattacks are also becoming more sophisticated with the help of artificial intelligence. According to a previous report by the Financial Times, Iranian hackers are using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and other Western AI programs to develop malware, craft phishing messages in Hebrew and Arabic, and create convincing fake online identities aimed at targets in the US and Israel.
The report says Iranian operators use AI-generated identities to build trust with potential targets. They reportedly engage in conversations under fake personas, gradually encouraging victims to lower their guard before sending malicious links or requests.
Israel has also reportedly been hit by waves of phishing emails and text messages, with some messages allegedly inviting recipients to collaborate with Iranian intelligence.
Not just hacking, but online influence campaigns
Apart from the alleged cyberattacks, Iran has also been accused in previous reports of using YouTube for propaganda. These have reportedly included animated videos aimed at US President Donald Trump and the United States.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
