The cyber dimension to the Israel-Hamas conflict
Like many international conflicts in recent years, the Hamas assault on Israel was followed by cyberattacks aimed at government, business and the media.
As US President Joe Biden committed unwavering support to Israel following Hamas’ Saturday morning attack, he issued a warning. “This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage,” he said. “The world is watching."
Yet while it is hard for the world to miss rockets hurtling into city squares, cyberattacks are harder to follow. And as the past few days have demonstrated, they inevitably follow the outbreak of war.
Hacker groups have taken down various Israeli sites and services, including the country’s official website and the Jerusalem Post publication. For Israeli citizens disoriented by news of rocket blasts and Hamas squads rolling into towns, the inability to access official or trustworthy information is concerning.
And it could be only the beginning. The country's banking and power sectors are being actively targeted too, according to Falcon Feeds, a cybersecurity firm that specialises in threat detection.
