Iran is reportedly hacking into private security cameras across Israel to gather real-time intelligence on its adversary, highlighting a growing vulnerability in internet-connected devices amid escalating global conflicts, cybersecurity experts revealed this week. According to a report in Bloomberg, following a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles that struck high-rise buildings in Tel Aviv, Refael Franco, former deputy director general of the Israel National Cyber Directorate , issued an urgent warning on public radio this week. “Turn off your home surveillance cameras or change the password,” Franco urged, now leading cybersecurity firm Code Blue. “In the past two or three days, the Iranians have been trying to connect to cameras to assess missile impact sites and improve their precision.”
The Israel National Cyber Directorate is said to have confirmed the surge in cyberattacks targeting internet-connected cameras for Iran’s war planning. “We’ve seen attempts throughout the war, and those attempts are renewed now,” a spokesperson said Monday. While photos of missile impact sites circulate on social media, Israeli authorities have imposed an official blackout on such images.
This tactic is not new. Gaby Portnoy, who recently stepped down as director of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, noted that Hamas previously exploited private cameras ahead of its October 7, 2023, invasion. “The intelligence gathering from private cameras in the Gaza periphery was a disaster,” Portnoy said in an interview. “Thousands of cameras, both public and private, were hacked over the years for intelligence collection.”
Security cameras banned in Ukraine, US banned Chinese cameras
The issue extends beyond the Israel-Iran conflict. In Ukraine, Russia is reported to have similarly exploited private cameras near border crossings, military sites, and rail stations to track material movements, according to a May joint advisory by the US National Security Agency and Western intelligence agencies. Ukraine banned surveillance cameras in 2022 after warnings that Russia was using them to plan airstrikes, and in 2023, urged owners of street webcams to halt online broadcasts to prevent real-time missile strike adjustments.
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission banned Chinese-made surveillance equipment in 2022 over national security concerns.
The Israel-Iran cyberwar has intensified alongside physical attacks, with pro-Israel hacking group Predatory Sparrow claiming responsibility for disrupting a major Iranian bank and a cryptocurrency exchange. Iran’s state-run IRIB News reported that Israel launched a full-scale cyberattack on the country’s critical infrastructure.
The Israel National Cyber Directorate is said to have confirmed the surge in cyberattacks targeting internet-connected cameras for Iran’s war planning. “We’ve seen attempts throughout the war, and those attempts are renewed now,” a spokesperson said Monday. While photos of missile impact sites circulate on social media, Israeli authorities have imposed an official blackout on such images.
This tactic is not new. Gaby Portnoy, who recently stepped down as director of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, noted that Hamas previously exploited private cameras ahead of its October 7, 2023, invasion. “The intelligence gathering from private cameras in the Gaza periphery was a disaster,” Portnoy said in an interview. “Thousands of cameras, both public and private, were hacked over the years for intelligence collection.”
Security cameras banned in Ukraine, US banned Chinese cameras
The issue extends beyond the Israel-Iran conflict. In Ukraine, Russia is reported to have similarly exploited private cameras near border crossings, military sites, and rail stations to track material movements, according to a May joint advisory by the US National Security Agency and Western intelligence agencies. Ukraine banned surveillance cameras in 2022 after warnings that Russia was using them to plan airstrikes, and in 2023, urged owners of street webcams to halt online broadcasts to prevent real-time missile strike adjustments.
In the US, the Federal Communications Commission banned Chinese-made surveillance equipment in 2022 over national security concerns.
The Israel-Iran cyberwar has intensified alongside physical attacks, with pro-Israel hacking group Predatory Sparrow claiming responsibility for disrupting a major Iranian bank and a cryptocurrency exchange. Iran’s state-run IRIB News reported that Israel launched a full-scale cyberattack on the country’s critical infrastructure.
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