Iranian hack leaks data on Israeli soldiers, intelligence officers

Hackers affiliated with Iran leaked a database containing thousands of resumes of Israelis who served in the Israeli military in June.

The breach, which is believed to be a part of over 20 recent "hack and leak" operations carried out by Handala Hack, affected veterans of elite units of the army and government agencies.

The leak included personal information like names, phone numbers and home addresses of individuals who had served in the military, including in intelligence, the Air Force, and other elite units.

When Haaretz asked the almost 250 Israelis affected, none of the respondents said they were informed of the hack by authorities.

Details of former drone operators, missile developers and personnel involved in Israel's air systems were also exposed.

The leak, confirmed as largely authentic by Haaretz, is believed to have originated from the JobInfo recruitment site or its partners, with CVs detailing classified experience in cyber, drone, and intelligence work.

Evidence suggests the breach happened at least a year ago, and the leak is often done to embarrass Israel and expose the Israelis affiliated with the genocide-accused military.

Since October 2023, Iranian hackers have launched a wave of hack and leak operations, releasing personal information on senior Israeli officials, including a nuclear scientist. Handala Hack has escalated its cyber offensive following Israel's recent war on Iran.

Israel-based cybersecurity firm Radware announced in June that cyber attacks had increased by 700 percent since Israel's war.

The Shin Bet internal security agency and Israeli cybersecurity firms have also reported a rise in spear phishing, targeting individuals in political and defence areas. Cybersecurity firm Check Point revealed that an Iranian-linked hacker group targeted Israeli cybersecurity professionals and a journalist.

Other cases include "social engineering" attacks, where hackers gained access and hijacked email accounts and impersonated them. At the same time, personal details of thousands of licensed gun owners in Israel were leaked following a breach in February.

In response to the hacking and its war on Iran, the Israeli government passed regulations requiring companies to comply with strict cybersecurity standards.