In Iran last week, writes Eyal Zisser, a cyberattack
paralyzed the government system administering fuel subsidies, causing chaos at some 4,300 gas stations across the country. The attack came on the heels of previous cyberattacks in recent months, which shut down vital services and infrastructure in Iran—from disruptions in traffic lights and train services to water and electric supplies.
Although Jerusalem has not taken credit for any of these acts of high-tech sabotage, there is much speculation that it is responsible for them. But, Zisser notes, electronic warfare won’t convince Tehran to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. What, then, can it achieve?
If Israel is indeed behind [these attacks], they can be viewed as an extension of the so-called “war between wars” that the two enemies have been waging for over a decade. This is a cold war that mostly flies under the radar, and is apparently convenient for both parties as it allows them to avoid an all-out confrontation that neither side wants.
The Iranians are not innocent victims. Iranian hackers attack Israel incessantly, occasionally with lethal repercussions. After all, cyber warfare is not a game. It isn’t confined to merely causing traffic jams or even ransomware attacks on hospitals. Cyberattacks can be deadly if they target a county’s drinking water—as we saw last year when Iranian hackers attempted to poison Israel’s water supply—or cause sensitive operating systems and even weapons systems to malfunction, not to mention planes and vehicles in the future.
Israel is clearly superior to Iran in this field. However, as in previous stages of the campaign the two countries have been fighting, the Iranians are learning, improving, and will ultimately find an answer. Case in point, Israel has stopped attacking Iranian oil tankers on their way to Syria, after Iran began attacking Israeli-owned ships near its shores. These cyber games, therefore, will continue on a low flame, but ultimately won’t be the deciding factor in the ongoing tug of war between Jerusalem and Tehran.
Read more on Israel Hayom: https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/cyber-warfare-playing-with-fire/