Radware, a leading cybersecurity company, reported a 700% increase in cyber threats against Israel since Israel attacked Iran early Friday morning.

The 700% rise was compared to the period immediately preceding Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of cyber attacks directed against Israel,” Ron Meyran, VP of cyber threat intelligence at Radware, told Ynet.

“The 700% rise in malicious activity within just two days comes from cyber retaliation operations by Iranian state actors and pro-Iranian hacker groups, including DDoS attacks, infiltration attempts targeting critical infrastructure, data theft, and malware distribution campaigns,” Meyran continued.

The cyber attackers use espionage, infrastructure disruption, and surveillance to target government websites, utility companies, financial services and critical infrastructure.

Many of these players post information on Telegram about attacks, including #OpIsrael, which said it was going to target Israel’s Tzeva Adom (Red Alert) system that warns civilians about impending missile attacks.

Although many of the claims made by hackers on Telegram are boasts — such as one user alleging to have hacked Mossad’s website and another who said they shut down Israeli radio stations — experts warn that Iran’s cyber threats should be taken seriously.

Recent intelligence indicates an intensification and refinement of cybercrime strategies targeting Israel.

The Iranian and pro-Iranian attackers aim to apprehend military secrets, compromise military defense networks, use phishing to secure data and spy on potential targets.

Many of the attacks are disguised as everyday interactions with third-party vendors and service providers.

They could employ denial-of-service (DoS) campaigns, ransomware, and malware to disrupt systems and seize data.

“The potential implications of this wave of attacks are severe,” said Meyran.

“Israeli organizations must keep an eye on the cyber arena as well, sharpen procedures for employees – especially considering that most are working from home – and enhance internal organizational security.

“We recommend implementing multi-layered security solutions and continuous monitoring of network traffic to detect and thwart threats in real time.”

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