Israeli army investigating upload of classified documents to cloud system

Israel's army has launched an investigation after classified files from an elite squadron of the Israeli Air Force were made openly accessible to all members of the military, including former soldiers.

The files were uploaded by members of Squadron 69, including its commander, onto the Israeli military's file management system Click Portal, part of the army's cloud infrastructure provided by Microsoft that is accessible on the open internet, according to Haaretz.

The system is open to everyone within the military and can be accessed from anywhere in the world, including discharged soldiers who no longer serve.

Many of the files were internal weekly updates which included investigation summaries and event scheduling. However, some of the files were classified, including those relating to combat readiness briefings that were made ahead of potential strikes on Iran.

Squadron 69 is one of the air force's most elite formations, having carried out the strikes that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in 2024. Its members have gone on to be part of the command structure of the air force, with current commander Tomer Bar being a former member.

As well as uploading classified files onto the system, some were scanned using CamScanner, a Chinese-owned app that has been blocked by India on national security grounds, and had previously been taken down on the Google Play Store for housing malicious code that could allow infiltration onto devices.

These files include duty rosters and training schedules, as well as two classified presentations on how to deal with enemy weaponry, and material on how to operate classified weaponry.

The squadron uploaded the files onto their specifically designated website on Click Portal, which is one of two squadron websites that are unclassified and available to be accessed by users. 

Each squadron has a website within the portal which is available through the Internet, although not to external users, with the service intended to only allow the upload of unclassified files.

Although other air force squadrons utilise the system to upload and manage weekly updates, they are not accessible to all users of the platform.

The military told Haaretz that an investigation is underway over the issue, which it described as "serious", and that the files were removed from the network. Military security guidelines are stringent, with discussion of classified information around phones prohibited, as is scanning documents on phones. 

The revelation of a lack of operational security within the military comes amid leaks in other Israeli government departments, most importantly within the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service.

Shin Bet is currently investigating several personnel over the leak of classified information, including one member who leaked investigations to the press and a government minister.