Officials: Major Cyber-Security Attack Prevented

Security officials said Wednesday that they had in recent days fended off a major cyber-security attack against Israeli online sites. The attacks were aimed at government computers and databases, as well as major private organizations such as banks. In all, 120 institutions and organizations were targeted. The attackers used several methods to compromise the Israeli sites, including falsifying security certificates that cyber-protection systems rely on to prevent unwanted connections. The National Cyber Bureau on Wednesday issued a refresher of its instructions to organizations and companies on how to avoid such attacks.

Also Wednesday, IDF troops arrested a female Arab terrorist near the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Chevron. The terrorist approached soldiers waving a knife and lunged at the soldiers, who neutralized her. The terrorist was taken into custody.

Officials said that she may have been trying to prompt soldiers to shoot at her, in what has become an increasingly common tactic by Arab women to commit suicide.

On Monday, an IDF soldier was lightly injured in a stabbing attack at the Kalandiya crossing north of Yerushalayim. The terrorist was neutralized. Officials said that they were taken by surprise by the terrorist, who approached the security guard as if she were about to ask a question, and suddenly pulled out the knife and stabbed her. Officials later said that the terrorist had been in a fight with her husband and had attacked the soldiers in the hopes that they would shoot and kill her.

Overnight Tuesday, security officials said they arrested eight wanted security suspects in other areas in Yehudah and Shomron. The suspects were wanted for participating in rioting and throwing stones and firebombs that endangered Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Several of the suspects were also charged with belonging to Hamas. All were being questioned on their activities by security forces.