Attackers hacked Israeli officials’ devices; stolen information sold to Iran

• The affected Israeli officials include Isreali Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Cheif of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Benny Gantz.
• Gantz and his Kachol Lavan confirmed the hack, however, they denied Iranian hackers' involvement in the hack.

What is the issue - Attackers hacked Israeli officials’ computers and mobile phones, stole information, and sold it to Iran.

Why it matters - The affected Israeli officials includes Isreali Prime Minister Ehud Barak and former Cheif of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Benny Gantz.

Worth noting

• Several news outlets reported that Isreali Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s phone was hacked months ago and the stolen information was sold to Iran.
• This news broke after Channel 12 reported that Israelian intelligence hacked phone device of Benny Gantz who is currently competing against Benjamin Netanyahu for Prime Minister post in the upcoming election.

As the news broke, Barak tweeted, “Breaking News! Gantz hacking. From personal experience, do not get excited. There is nothing sensitive relating to the security of the state. Iranian hacking? Not sure. More likely — regular phishing from a pool of millions of names,”

The big picture

Barak, whose phone was hacked months ago was warned of the hack last July by Nadav Argaman, head of Israel’s intelligence agency Shin Bet. Shin Bet agency also notified Gantz about the recent hack five weeks ago.

Gantz and his Kachol Lavan confirmed of the hack, however, they denied Iranian hackers to be responsible for the hack.

“We don't comment on issues that are at the heart of state security. It is important to emphasize that this incident happened four years after Gantz finished his tenure as chief of staff, [a fact] that raises many questions regarding the timing of the report's publication,” an official statement read, SC Magazine reported.