Air raid sirens heard in Jerusalem and Eilat on Sunday evening were initially blamed on a technical malfunction by the IDF but the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) announced on Monday morning that the alarms were likely a result of a cyberattack on municipal siren systems rather than the Home Front Command’s system.

The air raid sirens, which blared for almost an hour, were heard in a number of Jerusalem neighborhoods, including Neve Yaakov, Talpiot, Katamon, Arnona, and Beit Hakerem, as well as in Eilat.

The statement from the INCD added that local authorities have been instructed to take protective measures against further attacks.

“The attack apparently did not harm the infrastructure defined in Israel as critical,” said Yoram HaCohen, the director of the Israeli Internet Association. “At the same time, it was clarified once again how damage to even relatively simple civilian systems disrupts the lives of Israeli citizens. There is a significant gap between the State of Israel’s excellent cyber defense protection on infrastructure it defines as critical and the insufficient protection of other civilian infrastructure.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)