Essam Sami, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology
This article shows the dominance of Israel in cyber security industry. It emphasizes on the use of Artificial Intelligence and Several latest powerful technologies used by Israel. The general idea of cyber security and our vulnerabilities is shown simultaneously. The cyber operations conducted, and the damages caused by Israel is discussed here. Also, Israel’s cyber security budget, its recruitment process is highlighted here. Lastly it gives us an overall idea on how Israel is causing damage to the world, especially middle east, in disguise of ‘its right to defend’.
Introduction:Cybersecurity refers to digital security in easy terms. Any device or website that carries data, from our phones, laptops, tabs to our power grid and which can be breached or taken control, is included in our cyber domain. The Cybersecurity field works with the security of these devices or websites.In the age of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity has gone to another level. Old school attacks like Phishing, Social Engineering, Ransomware, Hacking etc. are now powered by AI.In the Cybersecurity Industry, Israel is one of the leading nations. Despite having latest and updated cyber tools, it chooses to do apartheid and war crimes.
Modern Cyber Offense Powered by AI: We are too vulnerableBefore we go deep into the Israeli cyber defense, we need to know the cyber threats around us and how AI is making these threats scarier. Artificial Intelligence is making hackers more efficient and giving more access and flexibility to conduct bigger cyber-attacks.
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- AI in Ransomware Attacks: The AI integrated systems now can intelligently identify and encrypt critical files. It can automate the ransom process.
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- Malware: Using a ‘Jailbreak code’, even a non-technical person can create a malware in seconds. These AI powered malwares are able automate and clone itself even faster.
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- Deepfakes: The use of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) allows us to produce synthetic media that appears authentic. It can be used for doing scams and data breaches.
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- Automated Vulnerability Scans and Exploitation: AI bots can easily scan for vulnerabilities. It can rapidly identify and exploit weaknesses with minimal human intervention. It can efficiently map network vulnerabilities.
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- Password Cracking: AI can accelerate and optimize traditional brute-force methods for password cracking. It can now run complex scripts and do attack automation.
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- Phishing: With the help of LLMs (Large Language Model) and NLPs (Natural Language Processing), Phishing is scarier than ever. AI can now generate authentic lookalike mails and links.
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- Social Engineering: AI can now mimic legitimate communications such as voice cloning and video impersonations. These causes high success rates in financial fraud, data theft and manipulation.
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- Zero Day Vulnerability: It is a kind of web or software vulnerability that the developers don’t know from the initial days of implementation.
Nowadays there are endless types of vulnerabilities in our cyber space. That’s why the demand of cyber security experts and ethical hackers is gradually increasing.
Israeli Cyber Operations: Its right to defend? The world has seen the oppression of Israel. Today they aren’t only oppressing the Arab world but also dominating the cyber space. They always attack first, then call it their right to defend themselves. Cyber space is no different. Israel has conducted many brutal cyber operations damaging many neighboring counties and others. The most concerning fact is they do not feel guilty about it. To conduct their cyber operations, they do
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- Unethical data collection
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- Use of high-end surveillance technologies like ‘Pegasus’
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- Several casualties in the target such as Lebanon, Iran.
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- War crimes in disguise of cyber operations.
With the latest and updated tools in cyber space, they have become unstoppable war criminals.
Data Table 1: Cyber Operations conducted by Israel and their description
| Cyber Operation | Type of Cyber Attack | Description | Targets/Purpose | Timeline | Source |
| Stuxnet: A highly sophisticated computer worm believed to have caused significant damage to Iran’s nuclear centrifuge. | Sabotage of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) | Disrupting or damaging physical machinery and infrastructure by exploiting vulnerabilities in industrial control systems. | Iranian nuclear program (uranium enrichment facilities like Natanz) to slow down or halt its progress. | 2010 | Sky News, Britannica, EBSCO Research Starters |
| Flame: A complex malware designed for extensive espionage, capable of recording audio, screenshots, keyboard activity, network traffic. | Cyber Espionage / Information Gathering | Covertly accessing and exfiltrating sensitive data, communications, and intelligence from targeted networks and individuals. | Governmental organizations, educational institutions, private individuals, primarily in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, to gather intelligence. | 2012 | Radware, Wikipedia, F-Secure Labs |
| Duqu (2011, 2015): Malware closely related to Stuxnet, primarily focused on intelligence gathering and reconnaissance The 2015 “Duqu 2.0” targeted cybersecurity firms. | Cyber Espionage /Information Gathering | To access sensitive data | Organizations involved in industrial control systems, and in later iterations, cybersecurity companies (like Kaspersky Lab), potentially for reconnaissance or to steal digital certificates. | 2011, 2015 | Wikipedia, ControlEng, ENISA |
| “Operation Grim Beeper”: Alleged operation involving the remote detonation of thousands of pagers and radio devices used by Hezbollah acrossLebanon, causing deaths and injuries and severely disrupting their communication. | Disruption of Communication Systems | Interfering with or shutting down communication networks, often with significant impact on operations and morale. | Hezbollah’s communication systems to disrupt operational capabilities and impact morale | September 2024 | Arab Center Washington DC, Ynetnews, Sky News |
| The use of AI tools like “Habsora” to maintain target banks for Hezbollah operatives, potentially impacting their morale and trust in communication systems. | Targeted Deception/Psychological Operations | Using cyber means to manipulate information, spread propaganda, or instill distrust. | Adversary personnel (e.g., Hezbollah members) to create psychological impact and distrust. | 2024 | Arab Center Washington DC |
| Fuel System Attack: A cyberattack to hit the system allowing Iranians to use government-issued cards for subsidized fuel, affecting all 4,300 petrol stations in Iran. | Malware Attacks (General Purpose) | Deploying various types of malicious software to achieve specific objectives, beyond just espionage or ICS sabotage. | Iranian public services and critical infrastructure. | October 2021 | Al Jazeera |
| Wiper: Malware that reportedly erased the hard drives of computers at Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum Iran. | Malware Attacks (General Purpose) | Deploying various types of malicious software to achieve specific objectives, beyond just espionage or ICS sabotage. | Iranian oil and gas infrastructure to cause disruption and data loss. | 2012 | Al Jazeera |
Still there are endless ‘alleged’ cyber operations that Unit-8200 and Mossad do not admit.
Israel’s Cybersecurity Companies and its tools:
Israel right now is using verities of tools in their Cybersecurity industry. They own the cutting-edge Technologies. Artificial Intelligence has added a new dimension to their toolbox. They have co-ordination between their public and private sectors in terms of Cyber Security. They have their own intelligence unit called ‘Unit-8200’ in IDF (Israeli Defense Force) dedicated to their cyber space. Many reports say that Israel has around 500 cyber security companies. Along with their military support it makes them more and more powerful.
Image 1: Prominent Cyber Security Companies from Israel. Source: ventureinsecurity.net
Data Table 2: Types of Cyber tools Used by Israel and their description.
| Category/Company | AI Tool/Application | Description | Sources |
| Government/Military | Azure AI Services (Microsoft) | Microsoft provides Azure cloud services and Azure AI services, including language translation, to the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD). While Microsoft denies their AI has been used to harm civilians, reports suggest increased usage of these services by the Israeli military for intelligence processing, transcription, and translation, particularly after October 7, 2023. | Times of Israel,Microsoft blogs, |
| Government/Military | ChatGPT-like AI tool (Unit 8200) | The Israeli military’s secretive cyber warfare Unit 8200 is reportedly developing an advanced AI tool, similar to ChatGPT, trained on Arabic conversations obtained through surveillance of Palestinians. This tool is designed to understand colloquial Arabic for intelligence analysis. | Arab news |
| Government/Military | “The Gospel,” “Lavender,” “Where’s Daddy?” (Unit 8200) | These are reported AI algorithms used by Unit 8200 to support targeting and decision-making in military operations. “The Gospel” focuses on identifying militant infrastructure, “Lavender” identifies human targets (suspected operatives), and “Where’s Daddy?” tracks targeted individuals to assist in arrests or strikes. These systems analyze vast amounts of intelligence from various sources (satellite imagery, drone footage, SIGINT). | Georgetown Security Studies Review |
| Government/Military | Project Nimbus (Google & Amazon) | Google and Amazon provide cloud computing and AI services to the Israeli military under “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021. This project involves testing in-house AI-powered targeting systems. | AP news |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Deep Instinct | Applies deep learning to cybersecurity for zero-time threat prevention, aiming to prevent both file and file-less attacks. | Builtin.com, Cyber Magazine |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Torq | An autonomous security operations center (SOC) solution that uses AI to detect and respond to threats, offering no-code deployment and extensive security controls. | Builtin.com,Tech Roundblogs |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Riskified | Provides AI-powered fraud prevention solutions for e-commerce businesses, using machine learning to detect and prevent fraudulent activity. | Builtin.com, Cyber Magazine |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Cybersixgill | Offers a threat intelligence platform that actively monitors various areas of the web for cybersecurity risks, using proprietary algorithms and machine learning to extract data and deliver insights on malicious patterns. | Builtin.com |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Coro | An AI-enabled cybersecurity platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), offering an all-in-one security solution covering endpoints, email, users, networks, and cloud applications. | Builtin.com,Tech Roundblogs |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Check Point Software Technologies | A major cybersecurity firm that provides solutions against various cyberattacks and is actively investing in AI R&D roles in Israel. While specific AI tools are not always detailed, their offerings often leverage AI for threat detection, prevention, and analysis. | Builtin.com,Tech in AsiaBlogs |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Cyera | Provides data security solutions that help companies meet global compliance requirements and enhance visibility into sensitive information, with capabilities to detect breaches and silo data. | Builtin.com |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Aqua Security | A cloud-native cybersecurity platform that offers multilayer solutions, including tools to protect code and scan for vulnerabilities during cloud-based software development. | Builtin.com |
| Cybersecurity Companies | BigPanda | Offers a platform that helps IT Ops, NOC, and DevOps teams detect, investigate, and resolve IT incidents, likely utilizing AI for anomaly detection and correlation. | Builtin.com |
| Cybersecurity Companies | CyberArk | A pioneer in privileged access management solutions, CyberArk likely incorporates AI to enhance security and detect suspicious activity related to privileged accounts. | Builtin.com |
| Cybersecurity Companies | Snyk | Offers a portfolio of security tools and applications to cloud developers through its AI-powered platform, enabling quick and accurate code fixes. | Builtin.com |
| Research/Academic | Weighted Graph Anomalous Node Detection (WGAND) | Developed by Ben-Gurion University scientists, this AI tool applies cybersecurity-like techniques to identify disease-linked proteins, by mapping interactions between proteins to pinpoint key connectors, potentially revealing how disorders take hold. | The Media Line Article |
Israel’s Cyber Funding and Recruitment:
Israel allocates a huge portion of their budget in science and technology. Cyber Security industry gets a big part of it too. Compared to other countries the funding is huge. Israel mainly gets their budget from USA donations. Even the citizens of USA are fed up with the USA government on this matter.
Data Table 3: Comparison of Cyber Security budget of Israel with other Arab countries.
| Country | Approximate Value (USD Billion) | Year (Approx.) | Type of Value |
| Israel | 4.0 | 2024 | Private Investment in Cybersecurity Startups |
| Saudi Arabia | 3.7 | 2024 | Cybersecurity Market Size (Government + Private) |
| UAE | 0.49 | Current | Cybersecurity Market Value |
The recruitment process in Israel’s cyber military unit (Unit 8200) starts as early as kindergarten stage. Only the most talented and dedicated people get the chance. Others are recruited to border police. Recruitment is based on several factors. The fellow candidates need to have these qualities-
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- ‘Chutzpah’ – Refers to having guts to do no one else would do.
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- ‘Rosh Gadol’ – Taking initiatives and doing things the best way possible.
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- ‘Bitzua’ – Being resourceful and getting things done.
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- ‘Davka’ – Doing things despite hard situations.
The Resistance and Our voice:
It is time we need to raise voice against this Israeli apartheid. We have to increase our knowledge and skills to increase the resistance against Israel. Many prominent cyber experts and AI engineers have raised concerns in this matter.
Image 2: Microsoft’s AI Engineer protests Microsoft’s AI policy with IDF. Source: Al Jazeera
Conclusion: Israel might be a cyber superpower. But all they do is war crimes in the name of ‘its right to defend itself’. The same technologies that might have been used for the betterment of our cyber space is now being used for apartheid by the so-called country Israel. Lastly no matter what – ‘From the River to the sea, Palestine will be free.’.
References:
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- https://www.timesofisrael.com/microsoft-denies-claim-its-ai-tech-was-used-by-idf-during-war-to-target-gazans/
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- https://www.972mag.com/
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- https://www.aljazeera.com/
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- https://www.washingtonpost.com/israel-hamas-war/
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duqu
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_8200
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- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IluKcbamqfk
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- https://www.arabnews.com/node/2592731/amp
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- https://georgetownsecuritystudiesreview.org/2025/01/09/the-dehumanization-of-isr-israels-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-warfare/
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- https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-ai-technology-737bc17af7b03e98c29cec4e15d0f108
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- https://cybermagazine.com/top10/top-10-ai-powered-cybersecurity-solutions
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- https://builtin.com/articles/cyber-security-companies-israel
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- https://themedialine.org/headlines/israeli-researchers-develop-ai-tool-to-identify-disease-linked-proteins/
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- https://www.politico.eu/country/israel/
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- https://news.sky.com/topic/israel-5981/1
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- https://www.securitymiddleeastmag.com/
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- https://u.ae/en
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- https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2025/05/15/statement-technology-israel-gaza/
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- https://startupnationcentral.org/hub/blog/ai-agents-and-israels-unique-contributions/
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- https://www.webasha.com/blog/how-cybersecurity-teams-use-ai-to-predict-breaches-leveraging-ai-for-future-cyber-defense
