"Iran is also cyber-attacking its allies"
"Iran is also cyber-attacking its allies"
Gaby Portnoy, DG of the National Cyber Directorate, also called for the establishment of an international joint defense and deterrence front. “It is a wonderful time to invest in Israel. We will remember those who show up on our side now,” added former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the Cyber Week conference at Tel Aviv University
"Israel is being managed in a far from amazing manner, but we will solve it. We will have 50 amazing years. Israel is fertile ground for super-entrepreneurs for the next jubilee. It is a wonderful time to invest in Israel; the prices are low. Come to Israel now, invest in it, and we will remember those who show up on our side now and appreciate everyone who comes to Israel in these difficult moments. It is worth joining because we are on the brink of an amazing path," said Naftali Bennett, former Israel Prime Minister, on Tuesday during the Cyber Week Conference held at Tel Aviv University.
According to Bennett, "Within two or three years, computers will be smarter than people. So what will we need people for? The added value we will need in the next 50 years most of all is people who can make things happen, push and change. We will need two main things: first, the ability to change and adapt to the new situation, with flexibility and teamwork. Second, we need to be strong and resilient, not only in Israel but all over the world."
"Iran, as a cyber-attacking nation, is attacking many countries around the world, some of them consider themselves its allies," said Gaby Portnoy, Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate. Among the countries Portnoy mentioned that Iran is attacking worldwide: Saudi Arabia, Oman, Canada, the United States, the UAE, India, the UK, Germany, Australia, Austria, and more.
"We have identified that Iran is attacking its allies and other countries for Information extortion and damaging digital services. The information stolen from government systems is then used for Iranian cyber-terrorism," Portnoy said at the conference. "Iranian cyber aggression is an international problem, not only an Israeli one, and therefore the solution needs to be international."
Portnoy stated that since October 7, Iran has expanded its cyber-attacks on Israel, including "crossing humanitarian red lines, such as the thwarted attack on Ziv Hospital in Safed. Iran's actions constitute a complete violation of international privacy laws and conventions, causing worldwide damage to innocent civilians," Portnoy said, calling for a joint front in defense, deterrence, and charging together a price from Iran for the world damage they cause.
State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman revealed at the conference that his office "is investigating whether hostile entities carried out a cyber hack into the Prime Minister's Office, UAVs, and more." As part of Cyber Week, Englman said: "We are examining Israel's readiness for cyber attacks during the Iron Swords War and how these attacks were handled." Additionally, the investigation covers how Israel handles intelligence operations (war on fake news), the protection of IT systems in the Prime Minister's Office, cyber protection of UAVs, protection against cyber threats to the control systems of the Home Front Command, and gaps in the functional continuity of certain systems in the IDF on the day the war started.
