Cyber attack leaves irrigation systems in Upper Galilee dysfunctional

Several water monitors – which monitor irrigation systems and wastewater treatment systems – were left dysfunctional on Sunday after a cyber attack targeted the monitoring systems.

Specifically, water controllers for irrigating fields in the Jordan Valley were damaged, as were control systems for the Galil Sewage Corporation.

The management for both major systems was pushing all of Sunday morning to work through the issue and bring the systems back into full operation. The source of the cyber attack, however, is unknown.

Cyber attack warnings

Farmers in the region were warned several days prior about suspicions over a planned cyber attack. Some of them, as a result of the warning, disconnected the remote control option for their irrigation systems and switched them to manual operation, instead, to prevent any harm from the attack. Indeed, those who left their systems on remote control were the ones impacted by the attack.

The National Cyber Organization warned the previous week about the increase in attempts at cyber attacks by anti-Israeli hackers throughout the month of Ramadan. Indeed, Israeli media agencies, medical websites, government websites and university websites all faced massive cyber attacks throughout the past week, including throughout the Passover holiday.

These attacks are part of what is known as OPIsrael, an annual event among anti-Israel hackers that takes place every April with the goal of harming critical infrastructure to Israel.

"When these systems are hacked, the potential for damage is very great," according to Niv Yona, research department manager at cyber defense company Cyberizen. "In this case, we are seeing an attack on thousands of water monitors in the Hula Valley region which has a direct impact on the physical dimension and, beyond creating mere fear and panic, directly impacts agricultural areas."