The Octopus Trap: Iranian Hackers Breach Naftali Bennett’s Telegram in Bold Cyber Strike
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has acknowledged that his Telegram account was accessed without authorization, even though his device itself was not compromised. He made the statement after reports emerged alleging that his iPhone had been hacked and that a data leak was linked to an Iranian hacking group.
The remarks followed publications by a group calling itself “Handala,” which claims to have gained access to the politician’s personal device as part of an operation dubbed “Octopus.” Bennett has repeatedly used the octopus metaphor himself when describing Iran as a central coordinator of threats against Israel. Responding to the accusations, he stated that neither his smartphone nor any other device had been breached, but that access to his Telegram account had been obtained “through various methods.”
According to Bennett, unknown actors acquired materials from his contact list, images, and private correspondence. Some of the leaked content was authentic, while other elements were fabricated. One example he cited was a falsified photograph depicting him alongside Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. Bennett stressed that the materials were obtained unlawfully and that their dissemination constitutes a criminal offense.
The former prime minister said the incident is already under review by the security services. He views it as an attempt to undermine his political activity ahead of upcoming elections, in which he is regarded as a serious challenger to incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his view, the pressure reflects opponents’ fears of his return to the highest levels of politics. Despite the incident, he has stated that he intends to continue both his public engagement and his political campaign.
Support Our Threat Intelligence
If you find our technology report and cybersecurity news helpful, consider supporting our work.
Buy Me a Coffee
PayPal
