It is no secret that mounting cybersecurity threats jeopardize the security of nations’ critical infrastructure systems – from power plants to water reservoirs to our railway systems and beyond – with potentially dire consequences for national security, economic security, and public health.

The United States’ Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity and the European Union’s NIS Directive underscore the international community’s growing concern towards this emerging threat. And as entities take new steps to secure their critical infrastructure against cyber vulnerabilities, Israel is pioneering the development of technologies to combat these threats.

Renowned for its vibrant tech ecosystem, Israeli innovation has long stood at the convergence of high-tech and security. The Israeli Intelligence Corps’ elite Unit 8200 has served as a launching pad for many of the country’s most esteemed technologists, and a look at some of Israel’s cybersecurity companies underscores the Start-Up Nation’s innovative leadership in the space:

Nine Israeli cybersecurity companies – Check Point, Claroty, CyberX, Cyberbit, Indegy, Sasa Software, Silverfort, Verint Systems, and Waterfall Security Solutions – will take part in the Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Roadshow in Texas from May 29th-31st. Visiting Houston, Austin and Dallas, the roadshow will explore issues including securing energy infrastructure, digital government, and other core topics in critical infrastructure security. Government officials – including U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry; Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee; Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz; and Ory Schein, the Israeli Energy Ministry’s top cybersecurity official – will join industry experts, thought leaders, and innovators to discuss the key challenges in critical infrastructure security and how Israeli technology is at the forefront of responding to them. The roadshow comes on the heels of Mexico’s Sixth Seminar on Homeland Security, Cyber-Security and Disaster Management in Mexico City, where 25 Israeli cyber and HLS companies showcased their solutions.

Here’s a closer look at three of the pioneering companies taking part in the roadshow:

  • Check Point Software Technologies, founded in 1993, is now a multinational leader in network security solutions, winning multiple awards for its firewall, breach detection, and data protection solutions. Traded on the NASDAQ with employees worldwide, the company is considered a global firm.
  • Using artificial intelligence and advanced behavioral analytics, CyberX provides continuous monitoring of industrial networks for targeted ICS attacks, malware, insider threats, and critical vulnerabilities.
  • Silverfort delivers AI-based multi-factor authentication to any sensitive user and asset, including operators of critical infrastructure, enabling strong authentication across entire networks.

Cyber-attacks not only threaten individuals’ personal data and network security, they have serious ramifications that run deep into a country’s core assets. From nuclear plants to the railways, critical infrastructure relies on connected networks – making it all the more important that robust security protocols are in place – and Israeli innovation is helping protect these assets the world over.

For more information on how Israel’s hi-tech scene is helping innovate our world, please visit https://itrade.gov.il/ or contact Ms Winkie Lui at winkie.lui@israeltrade.gov.il.