An Iranian hacker group known as Handala has reportedly carried out a major cyber-attack, compromising several of Israel’s security agencies.
The hackers managed to breach the Israeli defense’s SSV network—an advanced blockchain system used by Mossad for funding secret operations abroad—leading to a massive data leak containing sensitive information. This leak could have far-reaching consequences for Israel’s continued security efforts.
The Handala group, according to Iranian sources cited by the Indian newspaper Republic World, has access to a vast amount of data. This includes personal data, contract documents, emails, and log files from the network’s nodes and clusters. Experts estimate that the total volume of the leak could be as large as 8 terabytes. Among the sensitive documents exposed are those related to identity verification, customer knowledge documents, and the source code of the network itself, which could spell disaster for the entire system’s security architecture.
The SSV blockchain network was previously marketed as extremely secure, and Mossad even offered a million-dollar reward to anyone who could identify vulnerabilities in the system. It’s still unclear whether that offer remains valid or if the Iranian hackers might claim the prize. The breach appears to have compromised the security of this supposedly unbreakable network.
Included in the leaked data is Colonel Moshe Tetro’s personal information—Tetro, who is the head of COGAT’s coordination and liaison administration for Gaza, recently made headlines for stating there is “no humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, and emphasized that “dozens of trucks with food” reach the area every day.
This latest leak comes on the heels of an earlier incident in early September when more sensitive documents were also compromised, making ongoing operations in Gaza even more difficult. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism over that leak, with warnings that such incidents could pose serious risks to Israel’s national security.
The cyber-attack has all the signs of an ongoing “cyber war” that is running parallel to physical tensions between Israel and its enemies in the region, especially Iran and Lebanon. Israel’s Unit 8200, the country’s leading cyber warfare unit, has long been a key player in notable operations like the development of the Stuxnet virus—used to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program—and targeting Hezbollah’s communications infrastructure in Lebanon. Now, questions have arisen about Unit 8200’s possible connection to the leaked SSV protocol, which has not been officially confirmed.
The Israeli authorities have yet to make any official comment on the situation, but if the reports are accurate, the implications for Israel’s security could be catastrophic. This leak, if proven as substantial as claimed, may seriously undermine Israel’s ability to protect sensitive information and jeopardize ongoing intelligence operations.
