Tel Aviv, Israel – A senior Israeli security official revealed a dramatic escalation in the pace of cyberattacks targeting Israel, asserting that cyberspace has become an open battlefield with no ceasefire. In remarks to the German newspaper Die Welt on Monday, Yossi Karadi, director general of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, stated that the number of hostile digital incidents has risen sharply since the outbreak of the US-Israeli military confrontation with Iran last February.
Record numbers on the digital battlefield
In his interview with the German newspaper, Karadi explained that official data shows a significant increase in cyber threats. While Israeli authorities recorded about 1,600 hostile cyber incidents during June 2025 – during the military operations known at the time as the “12-year war” – this number jumped to about 4,800 incidents in June 2026. This tripling, according to the security official, reflects the growing challenge posed by cyberspace in light of current geopolitical tensions.
Targeting infrastructure and vital sectors
Karadi noted that the nature of these attacks varied considerably; they were not limited to government institutions but extended to targeting critical infrastructure systems in Israel, central organizations, and even small and medium-sized enterprises. He revealed that sectors such as law firms and accounting firms were among the targets that suffered breaches. In many cases, the attackers deliberately wiped the computer systems of institutions with weaker security measures.
The head of Israel’s cyber security agency asserted, “Some of the [attacking] groups are very highly skilled… We can deal with them, but we must take them very seriously,” emphasizing that “cyberspace differs from the traditional military sphere in that it knows no truces or ceasefire agreements.” Regarding Israel’s ability to counter these attacks, Karadi stated, “So far, we have been able to repel attacks on critical infrastructure, and we hope to continue to be able to do so.”
Tehran’s position
While Israel accuses Iranian actors of orchestrating these intensified campaigns, Tehran continues to deny any involvement in cyberattacks against other countries. Conversely, Iran maintains that it is frequently the target of similar cyberattacks. These reports keep Israeli security institutions on high alert, amid concerns that cyberattacks could become a tool for disrupting critical infrastructure as the regional confrontation continues and expands.
