IDF commander: Israel blocked 3 billion of cyberattacks since October

Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) have reportedly successfully blocked approximately 3 billion cyberattacks since October 2023, following a significant increase in threats. The surge in cyberwarfare coincides with the attack on 7 October, which marked the beginning of intensified cyber activity against Israel.

Colonel Racheli Dembinsky, commander of the IDF’s Center of Computing and Information Systems (Mamram), highlighted the challenges faced during the IT for IDF conference in Rishon LeZion, Israel. Mamram, responsible for the military’s IT infrastructure, quickly shifted to emergency mode, managing to defend critical systems from the barrage of attacks. The attacks, largely politically motivated, have been primarily attributed to nation states like Iran and groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

Cybersecurity expert Gil Messing from Check Point Software noted that the average Israeli organisation now faces over 2,200 weekly attacks. The trend reflects a broader pattern of politically motivated hacking, with over 80 active groups targeting Israel. Despite increased efforts in defence and information sharing, many organisations still struggle to keep up with the growing threat landscape.

Further complicating the situation, Kobi Menashe, Head of the Guidance department and Spectrum defence from the Israel National Cyber Directorate, revealed that many local authorities are in a dire cyber situation, with only a third deemed secure.