Latest news with #Israel-based
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
U.S. companies brace for Israel-Iran cyber spillover
As Israel and Iran exchange airstrikes, cybersecurity experts are warning that a quieter, but still destructive, digital conflict is unfolding behind the scenes. And U.S. companies could soon find themselves in the blast radius. Why it matters: Iran and Israel are home to some of the world's most skilled hackers. Escalating tensions between the two could spill over into cyberspace, potentially disrupting critical infrastructure, commercial networks and global supply chains. Driving the news: U.S. cybersecurity organizations are urging businesses to remain on high alert for possible Iranian cyberattacks on domestic infrastructure. The Food and Ag-ISAC and the IT-ISAC published a joint statement Friday urging companies to proactively bolster their defenses, noting a history of Iranian state-sponsored hackers and hacktivism targeting U.S. critical infrastructure during previous conflicts. Radware, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm, estimated there's been a 700% increase in Iranian cyberattacks against Israeli targets since Israel launched its initial missile strike on Tehran on June 12. Threat level: The scale and nature of potential Iranian cyberattacks on American organizations will likely depend on how the U.S. responds to the broader military conflict. As of now, the Trump administration has told allies it will not intervene unless Iran directly targets Americans. But if that decision changes, Iran could redirect cyber resources toward state-sponsored ransomware campaigns or wiper malware attacks on U.S. infrastructure, Austin Warnick, director of national security intelligence at Flashpoint, told Axios. Zoom in: Gil Messing, chief of staff at Israel-based Check Point Software Technologies, told Axios that he's observed several disinformation campaigns appearing to originate from Iranian-linked actors in the days following the strikes. One such campaign involved a text message sent to thousands of Israelis warning that fuel supplies would be halted at gas stations for 24 hours. Another message falsely warned of a possible terrorist attack at a regional shelter, urging recipients to avoid the area — an apparent attempt to sow panic during missile attacks. Both messages were crafted to appear as if they came from Israel's Home Front Command, but they were fake, Messing said. He added that he's also seen lower-level cyber activity potentially linked to Iran, including DDoS attacks and phishing campaigns. What they're saying:"Their main objective is intimidation, fake news, [and] disinformation, much more than anything else," Messing told Axios. He added that much of the current Iranian cyber activity is "lower profile" — in part because Tehran appears to be focusing the bulk of its resources on physical warfare right now. The big picture: During traditional military conflicts, cyberattacks are often deployed to incite fear and confusion among civilians. More destructive operations — such as infrastructure attacks — tend to emerge only in the lead-up to major strikes or invasions, as seen before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Messing said that's why Iran appears to be focusing on disinformation and smaller-scale attacks so far. The goal currently is to incite fear. Reality check: Israel also poses a formidable cyber threat in this conflict. However, its digital offensives are expected to remain focused on Iranian targets, Warnick said. A pro-Israel hacking group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack this morning on Iran's Bank Sepah, causing widespread outages. The group also claims it "destroyed" all of the bank's data. Israel has a long history of sophisticated cyber operations, most notably the Stuxnet attack that targeted Iran's nuclear program. Its intelligence units, particularly Unit 8200, are also known for advanced cyber espionage capabilities.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists develop breath test to ID people and check health
Breathing into a bag or tube usually means you've been pulled over by police who want to check for drinking and driving can lead to the loss of a driving licence or even imprisonment. But a team of scientists have found every breath you take to be like a fingerprint that discloses who you are with 97% accuracy and can be assessed for "insights" into physical and even mental health. "You would think that breathing has been measured and analyzed in every way," said Noam Sobel, one of a team of researchers based at the Weizmann Institute of Science near Tel Aviv who said they "stumbled upon a completely new way to look at respiration" they describe as "a brain readout." The researchers tracked breathing in 100 "healthy young adults" over 24 hours using a "lightweight wearable device" they made and found that the "high-level accuracy" of the tests "remained consistent across multiple retests conducted over a two-year period." Most breathing tests last less than half an hour, meaning such "brief snapshots" cannot assess "subtle patterns," according to the team, which had its findings published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology. "I thought it would be really hard to identify someone because everyone is doing different things, like running, studying, or resting," said researcher Timna Soroka. But according to the team, the breathing test rivals "the precision of some voice recognition technologies." "It turns out their breathing patterns were remarkably distinct," Soroka said, following the longer-than-usual test, which not only could identify people but provide signals related to health. The Israel-based team said that the tests showed breathing to be "correlated with a person's body mass index, sleep-wake cycle, levels of depression and anxiety, and even behavioural traits." "For example, participants who scored relatively higher on anxiety questionnaires had shorter inhales and more variability in the pauses between breaths during sleep," the researchers reported. The team's laboratory's prior investigations of olfaction in animals got them thinking that since mammals' brains process odour information during inhalation, there could be some value in testing whether there people have a unique breathing pattern in the same way each brain is unique. The findings follow the development over the past decade of gadgets that can identify people by how they walk, with so-called gait recognition technology used by police in China in street cameras since at least 2018. It all means that with every breath you take and every move you make, they might some day be watching - and identifying - you.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chime Prices IPO Above Expected Range
Fintech firm Chime priced its IPO at $27 per share, above the expected range, in the latest sign of a revival in new listings. The online banking startup raised around $700 million in the IPO from the sale of 25.9 million shares, while existing investors sold about 6.1 million shares for nearly $165 million. Shares of companies that listed recently, like USDC stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group, Israel-based retail trading platform eToro, and space and defense tech firm Voyager Technologies, all surged in their trading firm Chime late Wednesday priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $27 per share, above the expected range, in the latest sign of a revival in new listings. Chime is set to start trading Thursday under the ticker symbol "CHYM." The online banking startup raised around $700 million from the sale of 25.9 million shares, while existing investors sold about 6.1 million shares for nearly $165 million. Last week, Chime said the IPO price was expected to be between $24 and $26 per share. Shares of companies that debuted recently, like USDC stable coin issuer Circle Internet Group (CRCL), Israel-based retail trading platform eToro (ETOR), and space and defense tech firm Voyager Technologies (VOYG), all soared in their first day of trading. In its prospectus last month, Chime reported 2024 revenue of $1.67 billion and a $62.2 million loss from operations. The company noted that it averaged $251 in revenue for each of its 8.6 million active members. Read the original article on Investopedia
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mother of protester says trial wait 'outrageous'
The mother of a man charged in relation to an alleged break-in at the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm has said it is "outrageous" that he faces 21 months in prison before his case goes to trial. William Plastow, 34, is one of the 'Filton 18' accused of taking part in a Palestine Action protest at an Elbit Systems UK factory in Filton, Bristol last August. Mr Plastow is still awaiting his trial which is scheduled for April next year. His mum, Jane Plastow, believes it is the longest anyone has been held in prison pre-trial on protest-related charges. The Judicial Office told the BBC it could not comment on individual cases. An earlier court hearing was told that during the incident a vehicle was driven into the doors of buildings and two responding police officers and a security guard were injured. Along with many of the rest of the group, Mr Plastow, from Manchester, is charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary which he denies. The Home Office has previously told the BBC: "The CPS has decided that there is sufficient evidence to submit to the court that these offences have a terrorism connection." However, none of the 18 have been charged with terror offences. Elbit Systems UK is run separately to Israel-based Elbit Systems. It previously told the BBC that claims the facilities supply the Israeli military are "completely false". An Elbit Systems UK spokesperson told the BBC it will not comment on an ongoing legal process. "I think [for Mr Plastow] there's a great sense of helplessness and hopelessness," Ms Plastow said. "There have been lots of people locked up as political prisoners in Britain recently, there is Palestine Action and Just Stop Oil - but nobody has been locked up longer than my son and some of his comrades." Ms Plastow said her son applied for bail, promising the judge that he would stay with his mother and wear an electronic tag. "We had discussed the most onerous terms, it basically amounted to house arrest," Ms Plastow said. She said she offered to pay £50,000, from a recent inheritance, but he was denied bail. "My son has never been violent. It is a gross overreach," Ms Plastow added. "The idea that at the moment it looks like he will be locked up for 21 months is outrageous." More news stories for Bristol Watch the latest Points West Listen to the latest news for Bristol Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. UN expert's concern over activist charges 'My daughter was branded a terrorist'
Axios
11-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Cybersecurity startup Cyera now valued at $6 billion
Data security company Cyera on Wednesday announced that it's raised $540 million in Series E funding at a $6 billion valuation. Why it matters Enterprise AI adoption is increasing data exposure risks. Zoom in: Georgian, Greenoaks, and Lightspeed co-led the round, and were joined by insiders Accel, Coatue, Cyberstarts, Redpoint, Sapphire Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Spark Capital. Israel-based Cyera now has raised around $1.25 billion in total funding, including a $300 million Series D round last fall at a $3 billion valuation. The bottom line: Pick an exit, any exit.
