Iran follows Hamas, Russia in weaponizing hacked security cameras - Bloomberg

Iran is hijacking private security cameras in Israel to monitor impact zones and collect real-time intelligence, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing current and former Israeli cyber officials.

The report quotes Refael Franco, former deputy director of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, who warned that in the days following Iran’s missile strikes on Tel Aviv, Iranian operatives had been attempting to connect to private surveillance systems to improve targeting accuracy.

A spokesperson for Israel’s cyber agency confirmed the ongoing threat, saying such attempts had intensified during the current conflict. Iran’s use of hijacked cameras echoes similar tactics previously employed by Hamas and Russia.

Bloomberg notes that weak passwords, outdated firmware, and poorly configured systems leave many private cameras vulnerable, creating what experts call a “dual-use” risk for civilians and intelligence.