Israel’s “cyber ecosystem is very developed and wins acclaim around the world,” said the CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority.
By: United with Israel Staff
The Israel Innovation Authority, the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, and the National Cyber Directorate on Tuesday launched a program to strengthen Israel’s cyber industry with NIS 90 million of funding over the next three years.
Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen stated that the program will “ensure that Israel continues to meet the cyber sector’s biggest challenges, secure our place at the forefront of innovation, and bolster Israel’s global leadership in this critical industry.”
The program consists of three parts: investment in technologies with game-changing potential on a global level; funding support for companies moving from the development stage to the testing and demonstration stage; and allocation of resources to CyberSpark, Israel’s cyber innovation arena in Beer-Sheva.
As part of the program, cyber defense companies will be able to receive funding in two central areas: support for long-term, groundbreaking research and development and support for pilot programs to enable trial runs of innovative cyber technologies
The program is intended for Israeli cyber technology companies who have developed a product or service that has not yet been launched in Israel and is still undergoing development.
In addition, the Israel National Cyber Directorate and the Israel Innovation Authority will jointly promote the creation of innovation arenas in sectors undergoing significant digital transformations that expose them to cyber threats, such as health, transportation and finance. The innovation arenas will bring together international industrial players, regulators, academics, and Israel’s cyber industry to address tomorrow’s cyber challenges and preserve Israel’s global cyber leadership.
The new programs are designed to encourage the creation and growth of whole, sustainable cyber companies in Israel through the promotion, development, and commercialization of innovative technological solutions.
This program joins others supported by the Israel Innovation Authority, which include pilot programs in environmental protection, health, and transportation.
Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate Yigal Unna noted that “this program expresses the government’s ongoing commitment to preserving and strengthening Israel’s global cyber leadership, one of the most significant engines of the hi-tech industry’s growth. The program is dedicated to addressing the cyber industry’s unique challenges, with an eye towards the future.”
CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority Aharon Aharon added that “the local cyber ecosystem is very developed and wins acclaim around the world.”
Global Leader in Cyber Security
The Jewish state is considered a global leader in the cybersecurity business.
Dagan Alony, head of the Israeli embassy’s economic and trade mission, noted that approximately 25 percent of all global investments in cybersecurity go to Israel.
Israel, the country with the world’s 100th-largest population, signed the second-largest number of cybersecurity deals internationally, according to a report by New York data firm CB Insights published in April.
First place went to the United States, with a massive 69 percent of all global deals from 2013 to 2017.
Israel managed to grab second place with 7 percent, ahead of the United Kingdom with 6 percent, Canada with 3 percent and China with 2 percent, according to the report.
Israel has developed advanced security protocols, as cyber attacks on Israel have risen exponentially in the past four years, reaching up to two million attacks against crucial Israeli infrastructure on a daily basis.
Israel’s rise as one of the world’s leaders in cybersecurity has been boosted by cooperation between the military, government, education and private sectors – a level of partnership unmatched in the Western world.
Speaking at the 8th Annual International Cybersecurity Conference at Tel Aviv University in June, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that eight years ago his goal was to transform Israel into one of the world’s top five countries in cybersecurity.
“We have achieved our goal and even surpassed it,” commented Netanyahu.