When Israel's military chief delivered a
high-profile speech this month outlining the greatest threats his country might
face in the future, he listed computer sabotage as a top concern, warning a
sophisticated cyberattack could one day bring the nation to a standstill.
Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz was not speaking empty words.
Exactly one month before his address, a major artery in Israel's national road
network in the northern city of Haifa was shut down because of a cyberattack,
cybersecurity experts tell The Associated Press, knocking key operations out of
commission two days in a row and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in
damage.
One expert, speaking on condition of anonymity
because the breach of security was a classified matter, said a Trojan horse
attack targeted the security camera system in the Carmel Tunnels toll road on
Sept. 8. A Trojan horse is a malicious computer program that users unknowingly
install that can give hackers complete control over their systems.
The attack caused an immediate 20-minute lockdown of
the roadway. The next day, the expert said, it shut down the roadway again
during morning rush hour. It remained shut for eight hours, causing massive
congestion.
The expert said Israel's National Cyber Bureau, a
two-year-old classified body that reports to the prime minister, was aware of
the incident. The bureau declined comment, while Carmelton, the company that
oversees the toll road, blamed a "communication glitch" for the
mishap.
While Israel is a frequent target of hackers, the
tunnel is the most high-profile landmark known to have been attacked. It is a
major thoroughfare for Israel's third-largest city, and the city is looking to
turn the tunnel into a public shelter in case of emergency, highlighting its
importance.
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