Yigal Ona, head of the National Cyber ​​Campaign first responded to the cyber attack on water facilities attributed by foreign publications to Iran • "Last month - turning point"

The attack on water facilities in Israel: The head of the national cyber system, Yigal Ona, spoke today at the Cybertel Digital conference and addressed the issue of the major cyber attack and change in the past month.

"About a month ago we experienced an attack on our water systems. Since then, the word" speed "is not enough to describe the hectic pace at which things are happening in cyber space. We will remember the past month as a point of change in the history of modern cyber wars. 

Breakthrough video for Israeli sites // Photo: Municipality of Ramat Hasharon

The attempt to attack Israel was coordinated and organized with the aim of damaging our humanitarian water system. This is not a critical state infrastructure and indeed we were able to stop and prevent the attack, but if the attack was successful, we would, in the middle of the Corona crisis, have to deal with some damage to the civilian population and even temporary water shortages, or a mix of chlorine or other chemicals at the wrong dose that could have caused the damage. And disaster. "

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Una did not specify in full mouth who was responsible for the attack but said that "the identity of the attacker, according to other foreign publications, was attributed to a certain state actor. We do not attribute or confirm anything about the attacker's identity, but only we can say that this is not a cyber crime group and it is not done For financial purposes like ransom.

It was specifically aimed at causing damage to the physical space of life through control and control systems. This is the first time we've seen something like this aimed at causing damage to the physical space, compared to attacks that target data damage, which are also serious in themselves in the modern world. "

On the cyber wing's readiness for the offensive, he said: "If we stand in place and do not progress and improve, the next time result may be less good. Attempted attack has occurred, but damage is avoided and that is our mission and goal. We are now preparing for the next step that will eventually come. This is just a sign of a new era where cyber attacks are aimed at humanitarian causes. "

On the future of the field, Una said: "There seem to be new rules of cyber warfare - this could be cyber-cyber, or kinetic-anti-cyber - and everything will accrue to civilian-targeted warfare. In every country where cyber protection is handled, and manage the risks with the important, undefined critical systems. "

In summary, describe the lessons to be learned from the past: The fresh lesson is how important it is to be prepared and prepared at the national level. The national cyber system now deals with hundreds of systems, although less critical in cyberspace to expand and develop a new approach to how to protect everything, because everything becomes much more connected.

Risk management at the national level needs to be done at another level. Another lesson is to map all control systems and manage the risks in them. Attackers will go to the less protected parts of cyber space. Most importantly - sharing information between cyber defense countries and our friends. Ultimately, what hits one place spreads to another, too, like an epidemic. Speed ​​is changing and we are only seeing the beginning of it. "

As mentioned on May 8, an Iranian attempt at cyber attack on infrastructure in Israel was reported. Officials noted that hackers sought to damage computers that control water flow and wastewater treatment in Israel, and take control of a system that regulates the addition of chlorine and other chemicals to water. The breach was discovered and thwarted before significant damage was done.

The next day, the ship's traffic abruptly stopped at Iran's bustling and unexplained Shahid Rajai port. The computers that regulate the flow of ships, trucks and goods crashed. Iranian officials have confirmed that a foreign hacker is behind the operation. The Washington Post reported that according to the United States and foreign government officials, the port was the victim of a significant cyber attack in Israel responsible for immigration.