Iran is escalating cyber attacks on the West and even its own allies in a bid to steal sensitive information, Israel’s cyber security chief warned in Tel Aviv on Tuesday
“Iran, as an aggressive country in cyber as well, attacks many countries around the world, even those that are considered its allies,” said Gaby Portnoy, head of the Israel National Cyber Directorate. He was addressing the annual Cyber Week conference at Tel Aviv University. The Directorate is a government body responsible for coordinating and implementing Israel’s national cyber defense strategy.
Portnoy said Iran has particularly targeted Saudi Arabia, Oman, Canada, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, India, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, and Austria, among others, stressing that the stolen data is repurposed for further Iranian cyber terrorism.
“Iranian cyber aggression is an international problem, and not just an Israeli one, so the solution should be international,” Portnoy insisted.