Israel’s financial institutions are on high alert as Iranian hackers have threatened to carry out a significant cyber attack on Friday.

In response, the Bank of Israel has convened a special preparedness meeting with representatives from banks, credit companies and other financial institutions, in cooperation with Israel’s National Cyber Directorate.

The threat comes from the Iranian Anonymous for Justice group, which has issued a 72-hour countdown. This warning follows two recent cyberattacks against credit institutions in Israel, SHVA and Credit Guard, which managed to disrupt credit transactions for a few hours each time. 

During Tuesday’s situation assessment, various attack scenarios were discussed. While officials believe an attack will occur, its nature and scope remain unclear. There are particular concerns that the attack might disrupt credit card clearing operations, potentially leading to increased cash withdrawals by the Israeli public.

“We are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the continuity of financial services under any possible attack scenario. We urge financial institutions to remain vigilant and share any relevant information that could aid in our preparations,” said the BoI.

The National Cyber Directorate is expected to implement several measures in the coming days to attempt to disrupt the threatened attack. Israeli airlines have also been alerted to the potential threat.

This latest threat comes amid a series of cyber incidents targeting both Israeli and Iranian infrastructure.

In August, a major cyberattack reportedly caused significant disruptions at Iran’s central bank and other financial institutions. In October, it was reported that ongoing cyberattacks affected all three branches of the Iranian government, as well as nuclear facilities and energy networks.

Earlier in the year, Iranian hackers claimed to have penetrated Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility and stolen sensitive documents.