News
Massive cyber-attack on Israel’s electricity grid thwarted
Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said yesterday that Israel’s electricity system had been targeted by a huge cyber-attack, but that the threat was being repelled.
Steinitz was speaking at the CyberTech 2016 security conference in Tel Aviv, one of the global industry’s premier events. He said that the assault on Israel’s electricity network was launched on Monday and was “one of the largest cyber-attacks that we have experienced.” However, Steinitz explained that the threat had been identified and software had been deployed to deal with it in a joint exercise between his ministry and the National Cyber Bureau. Steinitz said, “We are handling the situation and I hope that soon, this very serious event will be over.”
Although he did not say who is suspected to have carried out the attack, Steinitz surmised that, “This is a fresh example of the sensitivity of infrastructure to cyber-attacks, and the importance of preparing ourselves in order to defend ourselves against such attacks.”
Israel is considered to be a world leader in developing cyber-security strategies, pioneering new products and methods for deterring threats. The CyberTech conference is one of the industry’s largest exhibitions with 250 companies and around 100 start-ups this year demonstrating their work. The event is being attended by a US delegation led by Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a delegation organised by the International Monetary Fund of representatives from developing countries.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday addressed the CyberTech conference, underscoring the industry’s importance in the twenty first century. He said, “There is currently a struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil, led by extremist Islam, Iran and ISIS,” explaining that “They are using technology that is intended to push humanity forward, to take the world backward.” Netanyahu emphasised that “Israel is firmly on the side of modernity … We have to make sure that the forces of the future defeat the forces that seek to take the world back to a dark age.”