Official: Israel faces cyber threat

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JERUSALEM, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The man in charge of Israel's electricity said Wednesday his country needs to prepare for a possible cyberattack.

Maj. Gen. Yiftach Ron-Tal of Israel Electric Corp. told the Jerusalem Post the Israel's enemies may have already succeeded in installing viruses in computer systems that control military and civilian infrastructure.

"Israel is under a threat and we could already have experienced a silent infiltration that will be activated when the enemy wants," Ron-Tal said. "We need to be prepared for the possibility that critical infrastructure will be paralyzed."

Ron-Tal cited Israel's electrical grid as an example of the threat the country faces.

"The electrical grid is essentially one big computer and if you take it over there is a big problem," he said. "We need to be able to detect infiltrations, have intelligence about potential attacks and know how to contain the infiltration."