[ad_1]
A group of Iranian hackers have targeted Israeli defense companies, in an attempt to expose their vulnerabilities and demand a ransom.
The group is known as “Pay2Key” and boasts of having carried out dozens of cyberattacks on high-profile targets since last month, including two targets last week, according to a report in the British newspaper “Telegraph.”
The latest attack, which took place on Thursday, targeted the Israeli company “Portnox”, specialized in cybersecurity, along with company clients such as “Elby Systems”, which produces defense systems for aircraft, vehicles and marches.
On Sunday, the Iranian group managed to infiltrate companies belonging to the Israeli army, including the Israel Aerospace Industries Company.
Analysts said that Iranian hackers use ransomware to attack and steal data, threatening to leak it in case the victim does not cooperate with them, and the ransom can reach $ 133,000, paid in Bitcoin.
The Israeli company, Check Point, which specializes in cybersecurity, said it tracked some of the financial group’s transactions until it reached the Bitcoin exchange in Iran, but it is not known whether the Iranian government is behind the group or not.
Iranian hackers have previously been blamed for a cyber attack on government institutions and banks in Israel, the United States and Britain in 2017.
Last May, hundreds of Israeli websites were attacked by hackers linked to Iran, leading to the suspension of work and the replacement of their content with a message that threatened Israel with “destruction.”
Among the sites affected at the time was the site of the “Sea of Galilee” organization, which is considered a major source of water in Israel.
On the other hand, last May, Israel’s National Internet Directorate warned of cyber attacks coming soon, as Directorate director Yigal Ona said that a “cyber winter” was approaching.
