Israeli citizens Giora Iahr and Oren Avraham Azouri received final jail sentences in Romania for attempted espionage and coordinating a cyber-attack on the local banking system. Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice convicted Giora Iahr to 9 years and 8 months in jail and his partner Oren Avraham Azouri to 9 years in prison, according to local Agerpres.

Romania’s anti-organized crime prosecutors arrested the two in February 2015 and send them to court in July 2015. The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) discovered their illegal activities and informed the DIICOT prosecutors.

The two Israeli citizens apparently helped the members of a foreign criminal organization based in Israel gain access to the local banking system using malware programs, which they planted using a local bank’s employees. This happened between November 2014 and February 2015.

The malware program apparently allowed the criminal network’s coordinator to gain access to banking data and remotely control the devices in the bank’s system via the malware program, which spread like a virus to all the connected devices. Moreover, thanks to the same malware program, the infected devices also facilitated environmental interception, allowing the criminal network’s members hear what people around the respective devices were talking. The name of the banks that were targeted by this cyber-attack were not revealed.

Giora Iahr and Oren Avraham Azouri were also involved in money laundering operations. They also had a Romanian accomplice, who was sentenced to 9 months of probation and 120 hours of community service.

Giora Iahr is a controversial businessman who had several companies in Romania. He was involved in real estate and also controlled a firm that facilitated sending Romanian workers to Israel for a fee, according to local newspaper Evenimentul Zilei.

Intelligence Service official: Romania is a target for state-sponsored cyber attacks

editor@romania-insider.com