Israel Second Most Targeted Nation Globally for Cyberattacks, Microsoft Report Finds
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel is the world's second most targeted country for cyberattacks.
- The US leads with 531 state-sponsored cyber events, followed by Israel with 210.
- Israel is the top target in the Middle East and Africa.
- Ransomware attacks in Israel increased by 21% since 2025.
- AI is accelerating cyberattack capabilities, according to Microsoft.
Israel is the second most targeted country worldwide for cyberattacks, according to Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2026. The report, analyzed by Israeli press on Monday, identified 210 state-sponsored cyber events targeting Israel during the studied period. The United States led the list with 531 events, followed by Taiwan with 193 and Japan with 172.
Israel also ranked first among countries targeted in the Middle East and Africa. The report highlighted ongoing operations by state-linked actors from Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea. These campaigns aim to gain persistent access to sensitive systems, gather intelligence, or disrupt infrastructure.
Iran, in particular, has long favored Israel as a target for cyber operations, using them for espionage and disruption below the threshold of conventional military conflict. The threat extends to Israeli businesses and individuals, with a 21% increase in ransomware attacks recorded since 2025.
Microsoft also noted the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into cyber threats, enabling attackers to accelerate operations, automate campaigns, and exploit vulnerabilities more quickly.
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