Iran-Linked Group Exposes Major Cybersecurity Lapse of Former Israeli PM Bennett

Naftali Bennett, a former Israeli prime minister, said that his Telegram account was compromised after photographs and contact information were posted on channels purportedly managed by the pro-Palestinian Handala group.

After first disputing the information, Mr. Bennett eventually acknowledged that “the contents of the contact list, as well as real and fake photos and chats, were distributed.”

Many of the phone numbers were real and belonged to important Israeli officials as well as a variety of international dignitaries, according to the Israeli publication Haaretz.

Israel’s enemies will do everything to prevent me from becoming prime minister again. It won’t help them,” Mr. Bennett stated in a statement that his office made public.

Mr. Bennett, who is seen as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s primary opponent in the upcoming election, is greatly embarrassed by the hack. He founded cyber security firms before entering politics.

Handala is accused of having ties to Iran and is well-known for disclosing private information belonging to Israeli military commanders, journalists, and officials. In a cyberattack known as “Operation Octopus,” it released Mr. Bennett’s details on X and its website. Iran has frequently been compared to a malevolent octopus by the former prime minister.

The organization sent Mr. Bennett a note, which was posted on X.

“Dear Naftali Bennett,” it stated. “You once prided yourself on being a beacon of cyber security, parading your expertise before the world. Yet, how ironic that your own iPhone 13 has fallen so easily into the hands of Handala. For all your boasts and bravado, your digital fortress was nothing more than a paper wall waiting to be breached.”