Israel’s police force was forced to take its entire computer network offline yesterday, after receiving a tip that hackers had infected the system with a virus.

Security chiefs ordered police stations across the entire country to disconnect their computers from the civilian internet, and warned offices to be extremely cautious when using police computers and software.

Since being switched offline, Israel’s police force is no longer able to send or respond to emails.

Micky Rosenfeld, spokesperson for Israel’s National Police, said that security experts were currently investigating whether or not the police’s computer system had actually been hacked, and if so, would try to determine the extent of any damage caused.

Rosenfeld admitted that the police were currently unaware whether the attack – if it even exists – has affected the entire national computer system, or if it is something more localized, involving just a few machines.

Police added that the tip they received did not reveal the nature of the person or persons behind the alleged hack attack, although they believe that any threat would likely come from an “external organization”, reported The Jerusalem Post.

The newspaper added that police had not even managed to confirm the source of the intelligence tip.

Another Israeli newspaper, the Haaretz, adds that the security alert comes just two weeks after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned of the growing danger of cyber attacks against the nation.

At the time, Netanyahu rather foolishly boasted that Israel would be able to ward off any threats, just as it could easily see off any military attack:

“Just as we have the Iron Dome to fight rockets, and the security fence to prevent infiltration and terror – we will have a similar form of defense against cyber attacks.”

“But like with the security fence, it will take time to make. We are working on this at full capacity, and with full vigor.”

In the meantime, Israeli cops are just going to have to make do without playing Facebook…