Cyber attack on Israel's Electric Authority shows preparation is key

Israel's Electricity Authority has experienced a serious cyber attack that officials are still working to repel; the country's Energy Minister, Yuval Steinitz, said it was one of the biggest computer-based attacks Israel's power authority had experienced. Back in July, Israel's National Cyber Authority had warned the country it would be targeted by a massive cyber attack, meaning the Government and security agencies were already alerted to look for changes in their computer systems; the warning went into effect immediately, and included computer systems and cellular phones, "This is a fresh example of the sensitivity of infrastructure to cyber attacks, and the importance of preparing ourselves", said Steinitz; no one has identified the suspects behind the attack as yet. As we noted previously, Israel has been investing resources to streamline its offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, becoming a centre of cyber security research and development. Israeli cybersecurity firms now export $3bn in knowledge, services and solutions each year. This attack comes just five weeks after the Ukraine's power grid was successfully disrupted in what is believed to have been the world's first-known hacker-caused power outage.

Israel’s Electricity Authority managed to thwart a “severe cyber attack” on its operations this week, National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Minister Yuval Steinitz revealed Tuesday.

Speaking at the close of the first day of the two-day Cybertech Conference in Tel Aviv, Steinitz said that the attack – which was discovered on Monday – was being “handled” by his ministry, together with Israel’s National Cyber Bureau.

Open gallery view National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Minister Yuval Steinitz at a press conference announcing the new gas deal, Aug. 13, 2015. Credit: Olivier Fitoussi

“The virus was already identified and the right software was already prepared to neutralize it,” he told the slowly thinning out crowd – which seemed to suddenly wake up at the news. “We had to paralyze many of the computers of the Israeli electricity authorities. We are handling the situation and I hope that soon, this very serious event will be over.”

The attack, he continued, was yet another example of “the sensitivity of infrastructure to cyber-attacks, and the importance of preparing ourselves in order to defend ourselves against such attacks.”

Steinitz did not identify the attackers, or say whether his ministry had any suspects. A spokeswoman for the Electricity Authority confirmed there had been such an attack, and that, as a consequence, some of the authorities’ computer system had indeed been shut down —for two days. In a statement, she added however, that she believed "we are going to solve this problem in the coming hours.”