Israel-Iran Conflict Escalates With Surging Cyber Attacks & Disinformation

Uploaded on 2025-06-21 in NEWS-Cybersecurity News, INTELLIGENCE-Hot Spots-Iran, GOVERNMENT-Defence, FREE TO VIEW

The escalating Israel-Iran conflict, intensified by recent US bombing raids on Iran’s nuclear facilities, has spilled into cyberspace, with both nations leveraging their formidable cyber capabilities.

Since hostilities began, there has been a marked increase in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks and disinformation campaigns, transforming the digital realm into a secondary battlefield.

Indeed, cyberattacks have surged, driven by government-backed hackers, patriotic hacktivists, online propagandists, and opportunistic cybercriminals.

Surge in Disruptive Cyber Operations

According to Radware, a global cybersecurity provider, Israel has faced an average of 30 DDoS attacks per day since the conflict’s onset. These attacks primarily target government and public institutions (27%), manufacturing (20%), telecommunications (12%), and media platforms (9%). DDoS operations overload online services, rendering them inaccessible and often accompany website defacements and data leaks to maximise disruption during crises.

Israel’s Offensive Cyber Strikes

Israel, renowned for its offensive cyber prowess, has a history of sophisticated digital assaults, notably the Stuxnet virus that sabotaged Iran’s uranium centrifuges in 2010. In the current conflict, Israel-linked actors have targeted Iranian critical infrastructure. On 17 June 2025, the hacking group Gonjeshke Darande (Persian for “Predatory Sparrow”), widely believed to be a front for Israeli cyber units, claimed responsibility for infiltrating Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah, destroying its data. The attack caused widespread outages, with Iranian media reporting that customers were unable to access accounts, withdraw cash, or use bank cards. Predatory Sparrow has a track record of disrupting Iranian steel plants, railways, and petrol stations.

Iran’s Disinformation and Internet Restrictions

Iran has countered with large-scale disinformation campaigns, spreading fake news and fabricated imagery to confuse and incite fear among Israeli citizens. Domestically, Iran is tightening control by restricting internet access and urging citizens to delete communication apps like WhatsApp. These measures aim to suppress internal dissent, control national narratives, and limit exposure to external perspectives.

Hacktivist Groups Amplify Attacks

Pro-Iranian hacking groups, such as Mr Hamza and Arabian Ghosts, have been linked to many of the DDoS operations targeting Israel. Meanwhile, pro-Israeli accounts have contributed to the information war by sharing disinformation, including recirculating outdated footage of protests in Iran, falsely claiming they depict current dissent against the Iranian government or support for Israel’s military campaign.

The Broader Implications

The wave of cyber activity highlights how modern conflicts extend beyond physical battlegrounds. Attacks on infrastructure and public perception underscore the strategic importance of digital resilience.

As hacktivist campaigns grow more coordinated and disinformation tactics become increasingly sophisticated, governments, businesses, and civil society must bolster their defences to protect critical systems, data, and the integrity of information in a contested digital space.

Radware | I-HLS | Reuters | BBC | Axios

Image: Ideogram

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