Microsoft said in a report that Iran launched several social media operations to destabilize Israel. , Photo courtesy: Reuters
Microsoft said on Tuesday that Israel has become the top target of Iranian cyberattacks since the start of the Gaza war last year, while Tehran had focused primarily on the United States before the conflict.
“Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Iran increased its cyber, influence, and cyber-enabled influence campaigns against Israel,” Microsoft said in an annual report.
“From October 7, 2023, to July 2024, Microsoft observed that nearly half of Iranian operations targeted Israeli companies,” the Microsoft Digital Defense report said.
According to the US software giant, from July to October 2023, only 10% of Iranian cyberattacks targeted Israel, while 35% targeted US entities and 20% targeted the UAE.
Since the war began, Iran has launched several social media operations aimed at destabilizing Israel.
‘Influence Operations’
“Within two days of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Iran launched several new influence campaigns,” Microsoft said.
According to the report, an account named “Tears of War” impersonates Israeli activists criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the crisis of several people held hostage by Hamas.
An account called “Karma”, created by an Iranian intelligence unit, claims it represents Israelis calling for Mr Netanyahu’s resignation.
Microsoft said Iran also began impersonating partners after the war began.
Microsoft said Iranian services created a Telegram account using the logo of Hamas’s military wing to spread false messages about hostages in Gaza and threaten Israelis. It said it was unclear whether Iran acted with Hamas’s consent.
“Iranian groups expanded their cyber-enabled influence campaigns beyond Israel, focusing on undermining international political, military, and economic support for Israel’s military operations,” the report said.
According to official Israeli figures, the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 killed 1,206 people, mostly civilians, including hostages killed in captivity.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed 42,289 people, most of them civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
published – October 16, 2024 07:49 am IST