Security News > 2020 > May > Israeli Cyber Chief: Major Attack on Water Systems Thwarted
Israel's national cyber chief Thursday officially acknowledged the country had thwarted a major cyber attack last month against its water systems, an assault widely attributed to arch-enemy Iran, calling it a "Synchronized and organized attack" aimed at disrupting key national infrastructure.
Had Israel's National Cyber Directorate not detected the attack in real time, he said chlorine or other chemicals could have been mixed into the water source in the wrong proportions and resulted in a "Harmful and disastrous" outcome.
Mohammad Rastad, head of Iran's port and marine agency, told the semiofficial ILNA news agency that the attack failed to infiltrate into the agency's systems and only damaged "Several private sector systems."
"The attack displayed the cyber ability of a world power. It appears that this was a clear Israeli message to Iran, don't dare to touch civilian systems, the water and electricity systems in Israel, which were attacked this past month. You, the Iranians, are more vulnerable than we are," he said.
Without discussing the attack directly, Unna said the past month marked a historic turning point in cyber warfare.