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A threat actor claims to have stolen 15.92 TB of data from Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies.
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The supposed haul consists of upwards of 9.78 million files, which comprise emails, messages, and security research.
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There has been no public confirmation of the breach, and claims about the sensitive nature of the content have not been substantiated either.
A threat actor using the handle “louadzibraliz” claims that they breached the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an Israeli think tank focused on national security.
The actor claims to represent a group called Sumud Cyber Command. The group says it stole 15.92 terabytes of data from INSS systems. It also claims the data contains more than 9.78 million files. Several cyber threat sources have reported the claim. But there is still no public confirmation that INSS suffered the alleged breach.
Code Blue Cyber reported that Sumud Cyber Command claimed to have taken 15.92 TB of data containing more than 9.78 million files. PurpleOps also reported the same figure and described the incident as unverified.
What the Attackers Claim
The alleged dataset is said to contain a mix of research, communications, and office records. Reports linked to the claim mention internal emails and WhatsApp conversations. They also refer to research about Iran and other regional security issues.
Other alleged files include intelligence reviews, analyst discussions, strategic planning documents and conference records. PurpleOps reported further claims about Iran-Russia military cooperation and Israeli discussions about influence and propaganda operations.
This same report said the alleged dataset included WhatsApp conversations involving former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked.
None of these claims has been independently confirmed. The actor has also described some files as classified. That claim needs caution. A threat actor calling a document “classified” does not prove that an Israeli authority gave it that status.
Why INSS is a Notable Target
INSS is an independent research institute. It focuses on national security and strategic affairs. The institute says its work covers Israel’s security policy, Iran, the Palestinian arena, regional powers, and military strategy.
It also studies strategic decision-making and other security issues. That makes the alleged theft notable even if the files do not contain government secrets. Research held by a major security think tank can still reveal its areas of focus, research methods and internal discussions.
The institute has also faced security concerns in the past. In October 2024, INSS said Israeli authorities had stopped a planned attack against one of its employees. The institute said it remained in contact with the relevant authorities.
That earlier incident does not confirm the current hacking claim. It does show that researchers working on sensitive issues can face security threats.
No Proof of the Breach so far
The main issue with the latest claim is a lack of evidence. A lot of security sources have reported the size of the alleged database and some of its content. Still, none of them prove that the attackers have actually managed to penetrate INSS systems and steal the data.
Moreover, there is no confirmation from INSS itself regarding a breach of that magnitude. A leak may contain real files together with old data or even information that was already public. In addition, attackers tend to exaggerate the amount of data in their possession. So, the number of files and the volume of storage space do not prove that any breach took place.
Large data-theft claims have also appeared in other cases. For example, Cybercriminal claims theft of 100 TB of data from an Israeli fintech company involved an alleged theft on an even larger scale, although such claims also require independent verification.
Flashpoint also described the Sumud Cyber Command claim of a breach involving the theft of 15.92 TB of INSS data as unverified.
A Claim that Still Needs Watching
The alleged attack comes as cyber groups continue to target Israeli organizations during the wider regional conflict. Groups with political motives have used data leaks, website attacks and other operations against Israeli targets.
Still, there is not enough evidence to confirm that Sumud Cyber Command carried out a successful intrusion against INSS.
At this stage, the reported figures remain: 15.92 TB of data and more than 9.78 million files. The alleged files could prove important if the breach is confirmed. INSS works on issues such as Iran, Gaza, regional security and Israeli strategy.
For now, however, the available evidence supports a narrower conclusion. A threat actor has claimed a major data theft from INSS, but the breach itself, the full contents of the alleged dataset and the claimed classification of some files have not been independently established.
