Iran seeks to hack security cameras across Israel to gather intelligence, Israeli cyber authority warns

Israel’s National Cyber Directorate (INCD) has issued a public warning that the Iranian regime is increasingly attempting to hack hundreds of thousands of security cameras across the country. The cyber authority says it has identified more than 40 incidents since the start of the war with Iran in which Iranian hacker groups successfully accessed private and public cameras to gather intelligence.

Dana Toren, INCD head of operations, urged owners of security cameras to beef up the security measures. 

“Owners of security cameras must ensure they cannot be accessed directly from the internet, immediately change default passwords, update security versions and limit their exposure to public areas. These days, an unsecured connection is not only a privacy risk but a security risk, and it requires responsible technological conduct,” Toren stated.

The Israeli cyber authority stressed that hacking security cameras can threaten national security, as it allows Iranian-linked perpetrators to potentially track the movements of Israeli forces and senior officials in public spaces.

It appears that the Iranian-linked hackers are attempting to take a page from Mossad’s playbook.

The Financial Times recently reported that the Mossad had for years succeeded in hacking into traffic cameras across the Iranian capital, Tehran. This reportedly enabled the Israeli intelligence agency to monitor the movements of Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other top Iranian officials. Mossad eventually became highly familiar with the physical surroundings of the Iranian capital thanks to the traffic cameras. 

“We knew Tehran like we know Jerusalem. And when you know [a place] as well as you know the street you grew up on, you notice a single thing that’s out of place,” an unnamed Israeli security source told the Times. This intelligence penetration eventually enabled the Israeli Air Force to eliminate Khamenei and some 40 top Iranian officials on the morning of Feb. 28. 

“The decision to strike in the morning rather than at night allowed Israel to achieve tactical surprise for the second time, despite heavy Iranian preparedness,” the Israeli military stated following the opening of Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion. 

Meanwhile, the INCD is warning both private camera owners and business owners that their security systems are vulnerable to potential Iranian-linked hacking attempts. Skilled hackers are reportedly capable of exploiting built-in-vulnerabilities in software or using generic default passwords to access security cameras. Furthermore, many cameras used by private individuals are low-cost Chinese products that are reportedly vulnerable to hacking attacks. 

Security experts urge camera owners to implement multiple steps to increase overall security. One critical issue is to change the password to something stronger and less obvious, making it more difficult to breach. Experts also recommend that owners use separate networks and enable two-factor authentication.

Other security measures include disconnecting devices when they're not being used, disabling instant remote access when not needed, and checking for updates. The INCD also urges individuals to call its 119 hotline for assistance in cases where they believe their security cameras have been hacked.