Radio Blasts and Cyber Attacks in Lebanon
The explosion of pagers and radios used by Hezbollah elements in Lebanon has caused widespread international outcry. While Lebanese authorities hold Israel responsible for the attack, Israel has yet to make a clear statement on the matter. However, it is known that Israel has carried out similar cyberattacks in the past.
Istanbul Medipol University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Faik Tanrikulu, In his statement to AA correspondent, he said that Israel is an important actor in the field of cyber security worldwide and generally ranks high in global innovation indices Tanrıkulu stated that in Israel approximately 450 cybersecurity companies and that this country is located, The second country with the most cybersecurity companies after the US He also added: “Israel has made significant investments in high technology and cyber defense, creating a comprehensive cyber ecosystem through state-supported projects and private sector collaboration. In particular, it has recognized that cybersecurity is a critical tool since the early days of the Internet. Unit 8200, an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has taken on a pioneering role in this area. Soldiers serving in this unit have pioneered innovations by transferring the knowledge and experience they gained during their service to the commercial cybersecurity sector in civilian life.”
Attack Targeting Iran's Nuclear Program
While providing information about the cyber attacks carried out by Israel before, Tanrıkulu said, The Stuxnet virus, which targeted Iran's nuclear program in 2010 He stated that this is one of the most striking examples in this field. This virus Designed to sabotage centrifuges at Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility Reminding that Stuxnet was one of the first concrete examples of how effective and destructive cyber warfare can be, Tanrıkulu emphasized.
More Than 50 People's Phones Were Infiltrated
Stating that Israel's influence in the field of cybersecurity is not limited to defense, Tanrıkulu continued his words as follows: “The Pegasus software developed by NSO Group is known as a spyware used by the security forces of many countries. Pegasus infiltrates targeted individuals' smartphones, gaining access to personal data such as messages, emails, photos, and even live conversations. Emerging in 2021 Pegasus Project research, More than 50 thousand phone numbers worldwide are monitored by this software revealed and caused a huge scandal. French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's immediate surroundings and Opposition leaders in India It has been claimed that many names such as are included in this list. These developments are the USA's NSO Groupand blacklisted Apple WhatsApp's lawsuit against the company. Pegasus software journalists, activists and politicians “Allegations that it is being used to monitor people have raised serious concerns about cybersecurity and privacy around the world.”
National Cyber Security and Local Solutions
Underlining that national cybersecurity has become a strategic necessity for states, Tanrıkulu stated that digital attacks target critical infrastructures, banking systems, energy networks, defense mechanisms and even election processes. He stated that this situation poses serious risks to national security.
Noting that countries need to increase their cybersecurity capacities and develop stronger defense strategies against digital attacks, Tanrıkulu said: “Important steps are being taken in this area in Turkey as well. ASELSAN, TUBITAK and HAVELSAN “Domestic defense industry companies such as continue to develop cybersecurity solutions. However, we must go beyond these efforts and declare mobilization as a country and create a comprehensive national strategy on cybersecurity. We must prepare our public institutions and private sector for the threats of this new era. Time is working against us, so it is imperative that we act quickly.”
Tanrıkulu pointed out that some past events clearly showed the importance of this issue, CrowdStrike He stated that an update error in security software like this caused disruptions in the systems of many companies. Tanrıkulu continued his words as follows: “Although the company explained this as a simple mistake, it showed us all how serious the consequences of such a vulnerability can be. Similarly, the Heron Incidents such as UAVs crashing unexpectedly and not being repaired despite us paying for them reveal how dangerous external dependency on critical technologies is. At this point, the steps taken by China are noteworthy. China has accelerated the transition to domestic software in critical sectors such as hospitals, banks and aviation, and has increased the domestic software usage rate to over 80 percent in many areas. As Turkey, we should follow a similar strategy, reduce external dependency in critical areas and further encourage our domestic software and technologies.”
