From Startup Nation to Cyber-Nation

Recent hi-visibility hacks on corporate giants like Sony, Target and Home Depot and government institutions like the U.S. Central Command have made it clear that in today’s networked world, cyber-criminals, cyber-terrorists and state-sponsored hackers are increasingly able to gain access to critical data belonging to businesses and countries alike.

In response, governments and business are seeking more advanced cyber-defense strategies to protect their assets from a constantly evolving threat.

“Experience is the best teacher” goes the famous idiom. Israel is a country that deals with multitudes of daily cyber-attacks on its national infrastructure and government databases. Defending these assets has become an existential priority.

Israel’s strategic necessity combined with its highly developed tech ecosystem has led to the creation of a world renowned hub of cyber-security innovation. It is estimated that sales of Israeli cyber-security technology is around 5-7% of global sales. Israeli cyber products are basically used by almost all of the Fortune 500 companies.

One example of our unique cyber ecosystem is CyberSpark, a hi-tech center of excellence in the southern city of Beer Sheva joining the army’s cyber and signal intelligence headquarters with multinational businesses with a strong cyber orientation such as EMC, Lockheed Martin, Deutsche Telekom, startup incubators like the JVP Cyber Labs and Ben Gurion University, which boasts a world-leading cyber-security research and academic program. This inititative has led Prime Minister Netanyahu to declare Beer Sheva as “not only be the cyber capital of Israel but one of the most important places in the cyber-security field in the world.”

Israel’s prowess in the cyber-field is also reflected in our world-leading companies spearheading the effort to keep businesses and critical infrastructure safe from hackers.

These include:

• Check Point – Pioneers of the Firewall and one of the leaders of the Israeli cyber-security industry, with an impressive clientele of Fortune 500 companies.
• CyberArk–  Focused on eliminating cyber-threats which use insider privileges to attack the heart of the enterprise. Recently enjoyed a very successful IPO on NASDAQ.
• Trusteer– Recently purchased by IBM for close to $1 billion, Trusteer is a platform that helps protect such organizations as Bank of America, HSBC, and RBC against financial fraud and data breaches.
• Checkmarx– A developer of software solutions used to identify security vulnerabilities in web and mobile applications. The company’s 400+ customers include 4 of the world’s top 10 software vendors and many Fortune 500 and government organizations, including Coca Cola, Salesforce and the US Army.

Many of the companies and entrepreneurs at the forefront of Israel’s cyber innovation will be highlighted at the upcoming Cybertech 2015 conference in Tel Aviv, March 24th-25th. The conference has attracted visitors from more than fifty nations including the US, UK, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and Canada, and has become a premier meeting grounds for the latest on cyber-security threats and solutions. Cybertech is also a leading venue for networking and dealmaking and for investors looking for cutting-edge technology.

This years conference will include such rising stars as:

• Lightcyber– Founded by IDF tech unit veterans in the belief that cyber-security is not only about firewalls preventing hackers from breaching systems, but also about efficient early-stage detection. In the event that a threat has already breached a system and is laying dormant, Lightcyber’s technology enables companies to detect and eliminate them before they are activated.
• BioCatch– A state-of-the-art cyber-security firm specializing in cognitive biometrics, BioCatch detects user anomalies based on analysing user behavior and creating a biometric profile to quickly decide if a current user is a hacker or fraudster.
• FortyCloud–  Focusing on developing software solutions that enable secure cloud migration, usage and interworking for the cloud era.

As the world gets increasingly wired and cyber-security grows more and more critical, Israeli innovation is at the forefront of the battle protecting those things we cherish most. We hope to see you in Tel Aviv for CyberTech 2015.