The Israel Security Agency (ISA), also known as Shin Bet, has thwarted an attempt at espionage against Defence Minister Benny Gantz, the Israeli State Attorney's Office has announced. The investigation into this attempt was carried out with the minister's knowledge, authorities said.
The ISA learned that one of Gantz's domestic employees, a 37-year-old cleaner, Oren Goren Gorochovsky, tried to contact the hacker group Black Shadow offering them access to confidential material at the minister's house and to his PC there. Gorochovsky's efforts were halted before he could pass on any classified material, the State Attorney's Office claimed.
Gorochovsky, an Israeli citizen, tried to contact the hacking group using a fake identity on Telegram after learning from media reports that they had been hacking targets in Israel. He offered to install spying malware on Gantz's computer seeking to profit from the deal, according to the State Attorney's Office.
The man also sent dozens of photos of the house, its interior, and certain objects inside, as well as sending the hacker group a photo of his computer's IP address in order to prove Gorochovsky's claims of working at the minister's house. He later deleted all the messages, authorities said.
Black Shadow made headlines in October and November 2021 by leaking the personal information of hundreds of thousands of Israelis from the hacked databases of a LGBTQ dating app called "Atraf" and the Machon Mor medical institute, after not being paid the requested ransom. The fact that they have only been targeting Israelis sparked allegations that they are tied to Iran, although there has been no solid evidence to support the claim.