Cyber conflict between Israel and Iran escalates: thousands of attacks and massive disruptions in Iran

The escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran has gone beyond the traditional military confrontation and affected the digital sphere. Iran has suffered more than 6,700 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in the past three days, according to the state-run Fars news resource affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These attacks caused temporary restrictions on Internet access, which the authorities imposed to minimize the consequences.

DDoS attacks overload servers with artificial traffic, blocking access to websites and online services. Users in Iran reported widespread internet outages and the inability to use VPNs. Failures in banking systems, including ATMs and online services, were recorded. It remains unclear whether these difficulties are directly related to cyber attacks or to measures taken by the authorities to neutralize them.

On Tuesday, the Predatory Sparrow hacker group, which cybersecurity experts associate with Israel, announced the hacking and destruction of the data of the Iranian bank Sepah, accusing it of circumventing international sanctions. This attack was accompanied by a statement in Telegram and X that the actions are directed against structures that support the " terrorist fantasies of the dictator."

Predator Sparrow has been operating since 2021 and is known for a series of devastating attacks on Iran's infrastructure. Earlier, the group was credited with hacking the national railway system, disrupting cash registers at gas stations, accidents at steel plants and publishing alleged contacts of the Iranian leadership. The group actively uses social media to disseminate its statements, which, according to analysts, is aimed at exerting psychological pressure.

Iran's IRIB News agency reported that Israel allegedly launched a large-scale cyber attack on the country's critical infrastructure. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on this issue.

According to Google, Iran and its allies have repeatedly launched cyberattacks against Israel in recent years, including phishing, information operations, and data destruction attacks. Israeli operations, including the notorious Stuxnet attack in 2010, remain some of the most notable examples of cyberweapon use at the state level.

Representatives of the private cybersecurity sector note that the efforts of Predator Sparrow and similar groups are aimed not only at causing technical damage, but also at creating an information agenda and demoralizing the enemy. Cyberspace operations continue to be an important tool in the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.