A major survey published on Thursday by the Israel National Cyber Directorate indicates that approximately half of the country's residents were targeted by cyberattacks during the last year. Despite this high level of exposure, only about one-third of respondents felt sufficiently knowledgeable to respond to such incidents effectively. The data provides a detailed look at the current state of digital security in Israel.
The Public Cyber Awareness and Resilience Survey was carried out in October 2026 by the Geocartography Institute on behalf of the directorate. The study included 507 internet users aged 18 and older. The findings highlight both the widespread nature of digital threats and the varying degrees of public confidence in managing them.
Awareness of common cyber threats is nearly universal among the surveyed population. Ninety-eight percent of participants were familiar with at least one type of attack, such as credit card theft, identity fraud, phishing, or computer viruses. However, familiarity with these threats does not always translate into practical skills for defense or response.
Suspicious messaging has become a frequent occurrence for many Israelis. The survey found that two-thirds of respondents received a suspicious text message within the month prior to the study, a period that preceded the 2026 national elections. Additionally, 14 percent reported receiving threatening messages during that same timeframe.
The impact of these threats is tangible for many users. Half of the participants reported being harmed online over the past year. Specific incidents included phishing attacks, which affected about one-third of respondents, and online banking fraud or credit card theft, which impacted 13 percent. Ten percent said their social media accounts were hacked, while another 28 percent experienced damage to their devices due to viruses.
A notable gap exists between public confidence and actual knowledge. While two-thirds of respondents expressed confidence in their ability to identify potential threats, only a third believed they had enough knowledge to protect themselves. This discrepancy suggests that many users may be overestimating their digital resilience.
Behavioral patterns in response to suspicious activity vary. When receiving odd messages, 56 percent of users simply ignored or deleted them. Twenty-three percent warned others, but only 10 percent reported the messages to authorities. Similarly, 26 percent reported social media posts containing incitement to the relevant platforms. Regarding links, only 31 percent checked suspicious URLs, while 37 percent did not know how to verify their safety.
Despite these gaps, most Israelis are taking some form of protective action. Eighty-four percent of respondents used at least one cybersecurity measure. The most popular strategies included enabling two-step verification, which 61 percent of users had activated, using security software, and changing social media passwords.
There has been a measurable improvement in the adoption of multi-factor authentication. The percentage of Israelis who enabled two-step verification on at least one account increased from 52 percent in 2025 to 61 percent in 2026. Public trust in the state's digital capabilities also remains high, with 70 percent trusting the government's ability to handle major attacks and 79 percent feeling their personal data is secure when using government digital services.
In response to the survey findings, the directorate launched a new service called Click Check this week. Available through the National Cyber Portal, the tool allows users to submit suspicious links for review. Each submission serves as a report to the directorate, and if a link is deemed malicious, users receive an alert while the link is forwarded to technical teams for further action.
