Cleaner at Israeli minister's home charged with spying

The Israeli domestic security agency, Shin Bet, on Thursday charged a cleaner at the home of Defense Minister Benny Gantz, with attempted espionage after he allegedly reached out to a hacking group with alleged links to Iran.

Authorities said Omri G., 37, contacted the group called "Black Shadow" via the Telegram app following a recent high-profile cyberattack on an Israeli internet service provider.

The attack on the internet service provider generated widespread media coverage, which he likely would have seen. The Shin Bet alleged he had hoped to use his proximity to the defense minister and offered to infect Gantz's computer with malware.

He was arrested before any such efforts could be carried out.

Cleaner had criminal record 

While employed at Gantz's home outside Tel Aviv, the Shin Bet said Omri G. took photos of different items in the house which he sent to Black Shadow. 

These items included the defense minister's work desk, a parcel with a sticker noting an IP address, personal artifacts from Gantz's previous job as Israel's armed forces chief of staff, family photos and a property tax payment receipt.

The indictment alleges that around October 31, Omri G. contacted Black Shadow with the images from Gantz home. A resident of the central city of Lod, he was arrested November 4.

Authorities said he did not gain access to "classified materials" and therefore did not successfully share state secrets.

Shin Bet notes Omri G. has an extensive criminal history and even served time in prison for crimes including bank robbery, raising the question of how he ever got to work for Gantz.

Gantz has been warned in the past

When Gantz was campaigning in the 2019 elections, Shin Bet told him that Iranian intelligence had hacked his phone which placed "his personal details and addresses in hostile hands."

His campaign charged the story was leaked by his opponents to damage him politically.

Shin Bet said it  launched an investigation following the arrest "in order to reduce the chances of recurrence of these kinds of incidents in the future."

What is Black Shadow?

Black Shadow has not conceded any links to Iran but it has been blamed for numerous attacks on internet infrastructure in Israel.

In its most recent attack, Black Shadow obtained the database of the largest Israeli LGBTQ dating site, releasing sensitive information about up to 1 million users, including their HIV status.

It has also hacked into an Israeli insurance firm where it stole data, which it leaked when ransom demands went unheeded.

The Israeli-Iran hacking wars are a part of a much larger story of conflict that has included physical attacks on ships, killings of Iranian nuclear scientists and other offensive moves both online and offline.

ar/wmr (AFP, AP)

Editor's note: Deutsche Welle follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.