Cybersecurity gaps leave Israeli emergency agencies exposed, state comptroller warns – Israel & Jewish News
Publish Date: 2026-05-27 06:42:00
Source Domain: www.jns.org
(
May 27, 2026
/ TPS-IL
)
Widespread cybersecurity failures across Israeli emergency agencies and government ministries have left the country significantly exposed to Iranian cyber threats, Israel’s State Comptroller warned in a report released on Tuesday.
“In light of the threats from Iran, the Israeli government must also be well prepared for cyberattacks. The reports revealed significant deficiencies and must be corrected immediately,” wrote State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman.
The State Comptroller, Israel’s independent government oversight authority responsible for auditing public agencies and ministries, regularly reviews state preparedness and the effectiveness of policies.
The report comes on the heels of a National Cyber Directorate report showing a 55% increase in attacks in 2025.
Englman’s report cited compromised databases, vulnerable remote work systems and a lack of coordination between key institutions. It warned that sensitive state and civilian information could be exposed or disrupted as a result.
The findings pointed to systemic weaknesses across multiple bodies, including the Israel Police, the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority, the Courts Administration, the Economy and Industry Ministry, the National Digital Directorate (including the Government Cyber Defense Unit), the Prime Minister’s Office and the Privacy Protection Authority within the Justice Ministry. Some findings were classified as highly severe.
A central concern was emergency cyber preparedness. Although the National Cyber Directorate issued updated cyber defense guidelines following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, they were not fully distributed to emergency agencies, leaving key bodies without updated instructions during a period of…
