Cyber Incidents in Israel Have Tripled Since Last Year, Says INCD Head

Israel has seen a sharp rise in Iranian-linked cyberattacks over the past year, as digital operations intensify alongside ongoing regional tensions, according to Yossi Karadi, Director General of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate.

In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Karadi said the scale of hostile cyber activity targeting Israel increased markedly between comparable periods of conflict. In June 2025, during military operations against Iran, Israeli authorities recorded around 1,600 cyber incidents. A year later, that figure had risen to approximately 4,800.

“Some groups are very skilled. We can handle them, but we have to take them seriously. Unlike in the kinetic realm, there’s no ceasefire in cyberspace,” Karadi said.

He said the attacks span a wide range of targets, including critical infrastructure, government systems, large organizations, and the public, with smaller firms such as law practices and accounting offices also frequently affected due to weaker defenses and valuable data holdings.

While Israel’s core critical infrastructure has so far been protected, Karadi noted that less-resourced organizations have in some cases suffered destructive attacks, including full system wipes.

He also pointed to a broader evolution in cyber operations, with hacking groups increasingly coordinating activity, sharing tools, and incorporating external ransomware actors to expand their reach. Artificial intelligence, he added, is accelerating both offensive and defensive capabilities, increasing the speed and scale of attacks.

The comments come against the backdrop of an ongoing cyber conflict between Israel and Iran, in which digital operations have become a persistent and parallel front to conventional military tension, with no clear endpoint or ceasefire in sight.

This endless digital friction is driving a deeper operational alliance between Israel and Germany, reflecting a broader shift as Western nations realize that state-backed cyber threats extend far beyond regional conflicts. While Israel battles a surge in Iranian-linked operations, Germany faces an escalating volume of attacks targeting state systems and critical infrastructure, largely tied to Russia-aligned groups and Chinese espionage. 

In January, Israel and Germany signed, to institutionalize defense sharing. The agreement quickly moved into active operation with "Blue Horizon," the countries' first joint cyber defense exercise.By focusing on deploying a German "cyber dome" modeled directly on Israel's digital shield, alongside real-time intelligence sharing to protect energy grids and connected infrastructure, the collaboration cements a synchronized, cross-border defense built for an era where everyone is a target.

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