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IDF Cyber Chief: Threat is Greater than Previously Published
Israel and the United States have completed their tenth annual "CyberDome" joint cyberwarfare exercise. In his closing remarks, IDF Cyber Chief Major General Aviad Dagan said the threat to cybersecurity in both countries is far greater than ever publicized.
Israel and the United States are confronting cyber threats far more severe than anything publicly disclosed, IDF Communications and Cyber Defense Command chief Maj. Gen. Aviad Dagan warned on Tuesday, cautioning against complacency despite Israel’s strong cyber track record.
Speaking after a joint Israeli-American cyberwarfare exercise, Dagan said dozens of enemy cyberattacks in recent years came dangerously close to disrupting critical national infrastructure, not just leaking data. While cyber incidents are often framed around stolen passwords or breached databases, he stressed that many attacks targeted systems with real-world consequences.
“We cannot mislead ourselves,” Dagan said, warning that past success does not guarantee future security. Israel, he added, must assume that the next wave of cyberattacks will be far more destructive than those seen so far.
The comments followed the tenth annual “CyberDome” exercise, held in the United States, involving more than 120 Israeli and American cyber specialists. The drills, conducted jointly with U.S. Cyber Command, are designed to improve coordination and create a shared operational language in the event of a major cyber incident.
Iran remains a central concern. In 2020, Iranian hackers penetrated Israel’s water infrastructure and were stopped only shortly before causing potential mass harm. Since then, Israel has faced repeated cyber intrusions attributed to Iran, China, and other actors, including attacks on hospitals and public institutions.
Dagan emphasized that cyber defense is now inseparable from national security. “Behind every visible conflict is a hidden one,” he said. “And it is only getting more intense.”