Israel Infiltrates Lebanon’s Telecoms Sector, Highlighting Weak Telecoms Infrastructure 

The Israeli communications penetration in Lebanon is on a perpetual rise following Israel’s recent Espionage Techniques from Hezbollah and Hamas on Lebanese territory.

The assassinations, which have been linked to Israel’s “espionage techniques” operations that detect the locations of the target personalities, have been associated to the infiltration of Lebanese citizens’ mobile phones, enabling Israel to reach its targets by penetrating them through various esponiage techniques, including the so called “Zero Click”. 

Due to the repetitive infiltration to the Lebanon’s by Israel, the country’s Presidential Palace is currently working on enhancing its communication infrastructure by requesting new internet protection devices. 

As for the Lebanese mobile operators, Touch and Alfa, they have recently requested logistical equipment to maintain and enhance their mobile phone networks in the country. 

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth recently hinted, citing an academic, at the existence of espionage operations and recruitment of agents in Lebanon to gather intelligence, mentioning the sequenced occurrence of first-hand internet network breaches within Lebanon. 

In the recent months, Jerusalem Post, published a report stating that the Israeli hacking group “WeRedEvils” had also hacked into Lebanon’s telecommunications network. 

The hacking group claimed to have control over more than a quarter of a million communication systems across Lebanon, without providing any further details in this regard. 

Israel’s Zero Click Technology for Hacking 

The Zero Click is a fundamental technology that stands out in the field of hacking and espionage. 

This technology is “extremely malicious,” according to the cybersecurity advisor Roland Abi Najem in an interview with Blinx. Abi Najem noted that the technology fully enables the hacker to penetrate the victim’s device without any error or interaction from the victim. 

For his part, the cybersecurity expert Majd Dhainy confirmed what was said by Abi Najem, and added to Blinx that through this technology, the hacker can take full control of the entire device without the victim’s knowledge. It does not require clicking on any malicious link or any other action for the breach to occur, representing a significant breach of Lebanon’s telecommunications services.  

Additionally, Abi Najem stated that the Israeli espionage techniques program “Pegasus” is renowned for its use of the “Zero Click” technology, noting that Israel has vast teams working in the field of hacking and espionage for many years. 

Dhainy further added that that Israel is a pioneer in this technology, which requires huge teams and financial capabilities to allow hackers to access victims’ phones. He pointed out that ordinary teams cannot carry out such hacks as they are complex and require a lot of information. 

The cybersecurity expert also explained that through this technology, Israel can monitor all movements of the victim, complete its intelligence file, and consequently carry out its assassination operation. 

Both Dhainy and Abi Najem also mentioned another hacking technology called “One Click,” through which hackers can quickly take control of the victim’s device, provided that the victim clicks on a specific link or opens a message containing malicious software. 

FACT: Lebanon Can Be Easily Hacked 

The Lebanese advisor and the expert agree that there is “no cybersecurity protection in Lebanon”, emphasizing that it is very easy to hack the internet and devices in Lebanon as it is not developing areas of protection, as well as the need for actual maintenance and updates to these telecommunication networks in order to curb piracy operations. 

During the interview, Dhainy said that lack of cyber protection in Lebanon also makes it easy for any ordinary teams with experience in cybersecurity, to fabricate hacking operations using the ‘One Click’ technology, thus taking control of various devices accessible to people. 

Cameras and Microphones Are Also Vulnerable 

The Cybersecurity advisor, Roland Abi Najem, revealed that any device connected to the internet is vulnerable and susceptible to hacking, noting that what’s even more alarming is that hacking operations not only target communications but also extend to the potential hacking of microphones within phones and cameras, as well as location features. 

For his part, the cybersecurity expert explained that hacking implies real-time espionage, pointing out that the scope is not limited to mobile phones but can also affect devices such as televisions, smartwatches, and anything connected to the internet. 

According to the experts, new phones require facial recognition, and there’s also voice recognition. They emphasized that both types of biometrics can be used to identify the victim. 

Abi Najem advise users to refrain from giving their phone to anyone and to ensure it that it will be maintained by a trustworthy person 

On the other hand, Dhainy suggested that Lebanon should start by raising awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and actively engage in protection programs to at least determine whether phones have been hacked or not. 

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