Israel's top cyber security official reported that Iranian-origin cyber attacks have rapidly escalated following the attacks launched by the US and Israel against Iran this year.
Yossi Karadi, Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, said in an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt that during Israel's military operations against Iran, Israeli authorities recorded about 1,600 hostile cyber incidents in June 2025, a figure that jumped to around 4,800 in June 2026.
Karadi said, 'Some groups are quite capable. We can deal with them, but we have to take them seriously. Unlike the kinetic domain, there is no ceasefire in cyberspace.'
Infrastructure and private sector targeted
Karadi stated that the attacks targeted Israel's critical infrastructure, central institutions, small and medium-sized companies, and the public, adding that among small businesses, law firms and accounting firms were also attacked. He said they have so far managed to repel attacks on critical infrastructure and expressed hope that this would continue.
Karadi noted that companies whose systems are more easily breached often have their entire computer systems wiped, but did not name any specific firm. Iran generally denies hacking campaigns against other countries while reporting attacks against itself.