Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel Surge Amid Gaza War: A Comprehensive Look at the Escalating Digital Battlefield

In the Gaza war, a new front has emerged—not in the streets or battlefields but in cyberspace. Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel have surged by a significant margin since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a devastating surprise attack on Israel.

According to Microsoft’s annual Digital Defense Report, Israel is now the top target for Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel, having displaced Iran’s previous interest in targeting the United States. This development has become part of an intensifying digital warfare between the two nations, coupled with old-fashioned battles.

October 7, 2023, the Turning Point

On October 7, 2023, Hamas unleashed an unprecedented attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and taking approximately 250 hostages in Gaza. The brutal attack was yet another reminder of the long-standing tensions between Israel and several militant groups, including Hamas and Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah. The attack pushed further military action by Israel but marked the beginning of intensified Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel, targeting Israeli companies and institutions.

Iran's Cyber Attacks on Israel

Before the war, Iranian cyber efforts targeted other countries, primarily focusing on the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Israel. Between July and October 2023, Israeli entities represented only 10% of Iran’s cyberattacks, while 35% of the cyberattacks were on American entities, and 20% on the UAE. After the Hamas attack, however, things changed drastically. These are now targeting almost 50% of Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel, states Microsoft.

What Do the Cyberattacks Consist Of?

The Iranians’ cyberwarfare is not merely disabling sites or breaching systems but a multipronged approach consisting of cyberattacks and influence operations. There are two directions of working within the Iranian cyber teams: conducting cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and governmental organizations, and running influence campaigns on social media by spreading false information and sowing chaos in Israeli society.

Within days of the October 7 attack, Iran activated several influence operations designed to shake Israel’s internal stability. For example, Iranian intelligence established an account on social media known as “Tears of War,” impersonating Israeli activists. It criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis with the aim of sowing distrust and anger toward Israel’s leadership. Another one called “KarMa” purported to speak on behalf of Israelis calling for Netanyahu’s resignation, but it was another of the fictions concocted by Iranian intelligence.

Tehran continued to escalate its cyber-enabled influence operations against Israelis as well. One of these was registering a Telegram account using the emblem of Hamas’ armed wing. That account spread falsehoods concerning the hostages taken into Gaza to shape Israeli public opinion and heighten anxiety.

A Global Issue: Iran’s Cyber Reach

Beyond the borders of Iran, this digital warfare extends far beyond its focus on Israel. Iranian cyber groups have launched campaigns that could be described as attempts to undermine international support for Israel’s military efforts secretly. The aim is simple: weaken Israel’s alliances and isolate the country politically, economically, and militarily in the international sphere.

This is not an Israeli problem alone, as Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel have a history of targeting many states. Israel’s cyber defense chief, Gaby Portnoy, stated that cyber aggression from Iran is not an Israeli problem; it is a world problem. According to him, all nations need to come together to counter these attacks, and they should coordinate their cyber defenses and establish deterrence measures. His message was quite simple: that the cost of Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel resonates around the globe, and that all of those affected need to unite to respond.

The Scale of the Damage

There have been close to three billion cyberattacks on the cloud computing network of Israel since the start of the war. The attacks range from simple DDoS attacks that temporarily disable websites to more complex operations with the goal of stealing sensitive data or capturing critical infrastructure.

Cyber warfare experts believe the war itself may run out of steam, but the cyber war will live on. Indeed, most believe that no matter what ceasefire takes place in the conventional fighting between Israel and Hamas, Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel are going to continue because the Ayatollah sees such efforts as a long-term play to destabilize Israel and not let them play such a pivotal role on the international arena.

Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah: A Wider Conflict

Iran’s digital aggression is part of a wider war, or so it appears, that is not only between the two warring nations, Israel and Iran but also involves a militant group located in Lebanon, Hezbollah, which acts as a proxy for Iran. As Israel battles Hezbollah on its northern border, Iran has been targeting Israel with rockets to reinforce Hezbollah’s actions.

This brings to the forefront the so-called “shadow war” between Israel and Iran. For several years now, these two nations have been dancing in the shadows and waging small wars here and there with the use of proxy forces and launching cyberattacks at each other. But the war has now spilled over into a full-blown conflict on both the ground and in cyberspace.

The Human Toll of the Gaza War

As the cyberwar rages on, so too does the human toll of the physical war in Gaza. According to reports by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, the number of Gazans killed or presumed dead is over 40,000. It is difficult to verify this, and more importantly, it’s unknown how many of these were civilians and how many were combatants. Israel says it has killed about 17,000 Hamas fighters in combat and also claims to have killed another 1,000 terrorists who participated in the attack on October 7.

Israel often reiterates its efforts to minimize civilian casualties. On the other hand, Hamas is alleged to use human shields as its fighters reside in residential areas, schools, hospitals, and mosques. Thus, it becomes very challenging for Israel to target Hamas without hitting civilian areas.

The Long Road Ahead

The situation in Gaza, and by extension, the cyber war between Israel and Iran, does not seem to be easing. This conflict has evolved into one that encompasses both military and political dimensions as both parties continue to engage each other in physical and digital warfare. While the business end of these military campaigns has been to defend against future attacks from Gaza and rescue hostages, Israel’s cyber defense is tested daily by a sophisticated and relentless opponent in Iran.

It becomes clear that both countries will be sustained in this digital arms race with profound implications for the world. The attacks on Israel’s cyber infrastructure remind the world that the next great war might not be fought with guns and tanks alone but by way of the invisible and ever-present realm of cyberspace.

The future of warfare, be it in the physical or digital realm, will require a great deal of international cooperation and a willingness to place cyber at the forefront. Iran’s Cyber Attacks on Israel, as Gaby Portnoy notes, is not just an issue to be taken seriously by Israel but by all of us around the world. And so, as Israel battles on the ground in Gaza, there is also a battle in cyberspace, with millions of attacks and campaigns controlling and reshaping the face of modern conflict.

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