The State Attorney's Office has filed an indictment against Michael (Miki) Bar (43), an information security manager, for the development and distribution of malicious software used to hack into dozens of leading Israeli companies, two kibbutzim, and private individuals. The affair, dubbed by police as "Open Faucet," was investigated by the National Cyber Unit at Lahav 433. It is alleged that the defendant utilized his professional skills and capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence to bypass security firewalls in computer systems.
According to police investigators, the defendant used the software he developed to gain remote control over personal computers, observing female employees through their laptop cameras, including in their private homes. Police investigators noted that a search of his computers revealed folders containing recorded footage of women, sometimes in intimate situations, as well as photos of their children. During the covert investigation, law enforcement officials initially suspected a cyberattack by hostile actors or an enemy state.
The reality revealed a significant gap, as the attacker turned out to be a professional in the cyber defense industry. In his interrogation, the defendant claimed his motive was merely a "technological drive" and a professional challenge, denying any criminal intent. Conversely, police investigators emphasized that this was a systematic case of voyeurism that allegedly spanned approximately six years. Bar’s defense attorneys, Tamir Calderon and Rami Zoabi, welcomed the fact that the charges do not include sexual offenses, emphasizing that he is a person with extraordinary abilities who was testing the limits of his technological prowess.
Concurrently with the filing of the indictment at the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court by Adv. Elad Dayan and Adv. Chavie Lerner of the State Attorney’s Cyber Department, a motion was filed to keep Bar in custody until the end of proceedings. The case has generated significant media attention due to the contradiction between the defendant’s role as someone entrusted with information security and the acts attributed to him. Security experts, such as Dr. Harel Menashri, point to the urgent need for stringent vetting of employees in sensitive positions and the necessity of building multiple layers of defense to prevent the abuse of access to organizational systems.