Israel’s role in hijacking Iran’s street cameras in the assassination of the country’s supreme leader illustrates how surveillance systems are increasingly targeted by adversaries in times of war.
Hundreds of millions of cameras are installed on top of shops, in homes and on street corners around the world, many of them connected to the internet and poorly secured.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled military and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.
On February 28, Israel made clear the possibility of such systems being hacked and used against opponents when Israel tracked down Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the help of Tehran’s street cameras, despite repeated warnings that Iran’s surveillance systems had been compromised, according to an Associated Press (AP) interview and review of public information and leaked news reports.
The use of hacked surveillance cameras, among other intelligence agencies, in the operation to kill Khamenei was explained to the AP by an intelligence official with knowledge of the operation and another person briefed on the operation.
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Trump tells Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz by Monday evening GMT or face major attack
Trump tells Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz by Monday evening GMT or face major attack
Neither was authorized to speak to the media and both shared the news on condition of anonymity.
