May 1, 2015
Officers from the secretive Cyber Defense unit tell ‘Post’ about the daily need to stay one step ahead of sophisticated cyber enemies, who seek to target IDF networks.
Hezbollah’s notoriety comes from its enormous rocket arsenal and well-trained forces, but the Iranian-sponsored terrorist group also poses an increasingly significant cyber threat to the IDF, senior officers of the Cyber Defense Unit told The Jerusalem Post this week.
Maj. G., commander of the Ramat Gan-based unit that is part of the C4i Corps, is responsible for all of the IDF’s cyber defenses. His unit defends the operational networks and IT systems that keep air force jets flying, navy ships sailing, and missiles hitting their targets.
Asked to describe some of his principal foes, Maj. G. said, “There is an opponent here who is Lebanese. It knows how to acquire technology and adapt it. It knows who it is up against. It is changing all the time; it is changing its devices and personnel, and it has targets.”
He added, “Our assumption is not to believe what we see, but to look for the enemy, everywhere.”