THE’Unit 8200 (יחידת 8200, in Hebrew Yehida Shmonae Matayim) is an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), created to conduct specialized military operations in cyber warfare. The objectives pursued by the 8200 unit, in fact, range from operations to electronic intelligence to operations in the domain cybernetic, both defensive and offensive, aimed at countering the enemy forces of the Jewish state such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Unit 8200 is considered among the most technologically advanced facilities advanced in the world in the field of intelligence and cyber warfare.
Origins and mission of Unit 8200
Established in the 1950s, Unit 8200 gradually refined its electronic warfare tactics to become what it is today: a key component of the Israeli army active in intelligence. The activities related to electronic warfare, in fact, are multiple and serve to guarantee two advantages fundamentals during military operations, such as:
- ensure the dominion of electromagnetic space by its forces and, at the same time, prevent its use by the enemy;
- intercept any communications present in the surrounding environment;
To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to be able to count on the ability to intercept And analyze every form of communication. In fact, among the activities in which the 8200 unit stands out is the analysis of electromagnetic signals (activity known as “SIGINT” or SIGNal INTelligence). In short, actions that can be carried out in this area include the interception of calls, emails, messages and any other form of communications that make use of electronic signals, both within Israel’s borders and abroad. ‘external.
The strategic role of the 8200 unit
Taking into account the context geopolitical in which Israel is immersed, the work of Unit 8200 is undoubtedly of high importance: among all the institutional tasks assignable to a military unit, Unit 8200 plays an essential role in monitor the potentials threats against the Jewish state, carrying out all those actions proactive to ensure a active surveillance (the so-called early warning). In this way we try to intercept and consequently block in the bud potentially hostile actions due to extremist groups, hostile states or terrorist networks. In essence, therefore, the information obtained is analyzed and used to prevent possible attacks, identifying possible threats emerging and finally guarantee the safety Israeli national team.
Although it is not always possible (for obvious reasons) to demonstrate the direct involvement of unit 8200 through media sources, this group has often played a role key during various operations military, from the Second Lebanon War to the numerous conflicts with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Among the most striking actions, there are the operations of cyber warfare (cyber warfare) against Iran, including collaboration with the United States in the spread of the Stuxnet malware, which caused significant damage to Iran’s nuclear program. Last but not least, the possible targeted intervention against Hezbollah which caused the explosion of radio transmitters and pagers.
How to join Unit 8200 and what to expect
At this point someone might ask: how do you become part of the 8200 unit? As you might imagine, from the operations described we can easily understand the nature of relief of the operations carried out by this special unit. It is easily imaginable, therefore, that the process of recruitment, like the preparation acquired by members of the group, are intended for a few members selected and continuously training.
Possible attractive profiles include: candidates more promising coming from schools and Israeli training institutes. The young people, recruited among the best, are subjected to intense programs training with the aim of training and preparing them to face the challenges of modern intelligence. Contrary to what one might expect, the sources describing the operational environment within the 8200 unit speak of an approach that is not exactly typical of a military unit: instead, a more oriented approach seems to be favored to innovation, leaving ample space to the initiative And to exploration of new solutions to solve complex problems. Sort of think tank with military implications. This philosophy has led many former members of Unit 8200 to become founders of technology companies following their military service.
Most famous success stories
As mentioned, numerous former members of the unit have become entrepreneurs of success in the field of modern technologies, contributing to Israel’s reputation as “Startup Nation“, i.e. a nation very oriented towards the development and implementation of solutions with a high technological content. Famous companies operating in the cyber sector such as Check Point Software Technologies, Palo Alto Networks And NSO Groupto name a few, were founded by veterans of unit 8200. In this context, the experience and level of training achieved during service in unit 8200 is often considered a guarantee. Finally, the 8200 offers a program called EISP (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program) for the benefit of companies operating in the technology sector.
Controversies and criticisms related to Unit 8200’s actions
Over time, the 8200 unit has not been immune to criticism of its work. The main accusation made against this type of activity concerns precisely the surveillance electromagnetic, harshly criticized by groups supporting the human rights: subject of criticism, the violation of privacy of civilians, especially to the detriment of Palestinians.
In this regard, in 2014, some former members belonging to the unit in question published a letter in which they denounced the use of surveillance Of mass aimed at collecting information on people who had no connection with terrorist groups or actions. However, although these criticisms raise important ethical questions regarding the balance Between safety And privacy, nature almost entirely secret of the operations conducted by unit 8200 makes their practices difficult to verify – independently – raising important questions about control actions and the consequences of such actions.
Open source media – unit 8200
