Israel Security Agency Uncovers Iranian Phishing Scheme Targeting High-Profile Israelis

Some 200 cyberattacks targeting senior Israeli officials, academics, and media figures were identified.

By Ben Rappaport, United with Israel

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) on Monday said it has in recent months uncovered a phishing scheme perpetrated by Iran against Israeli citizens, including senior political and defense officials, academics, and media figures, according to reports in Israeli media.

The Iranian plan involved gaining access to private accounts in order to gather personal information on Israelis, such as addresses, personal contacts, and places they regularly stay.

The Shin Bet assessed that the collection of the information was meant to facilitate attacks against the Israeli officials via squads recruited in Israel.

During the Shin Bet operation, it was found that some 200 cyberattacks had been carried out on computers and devices belonging to Israeli individuals.

In the cyberattacks, Iranian agents typically established contact via electronic communication services such as Whattsapp, Telegram, or email, equipped with a dedicated cover story for each victim, in accordance with his field of endeavor.

The Iranians then typically tried to cause the victim to download an “app” that installs malware on the individual’s device, or to direct the victim to a seemingly-legitimate website, where he was asked to enter private login information – which would subsequently be stolen and used to gain access to the victim’s computer or email account.

Once the scope of the operation was understood and the targeted individuals had been located, the Shin Bet began an operation to update the victims and instruct them on how they might improve their security.

The Shin Bet called for “vigilance, because cyberattacks of this type can be prevented before they occur through awareness, caution, suspicion, and correct and preventative behavior online.”