Why human capital is key in Israel's cyber security

IN BEER SHEVA, ISRAEL

The human factor is critical in the success of any venture, and in Israel's cyberspace it has grown over the years to become a key pillar in the advancement of the country's cyber systems defence.

The National Cyber Directorate is active in advancing the next generation of experts, which it believes will bolster cyber protection, steer the Israeli cyber-industry, and leverage it in both the local and international arenas by advancing training programmes and educational projects that integrate Israeli youth into information security.

Graduates from these special programmes have been prepared to contribute and expand human capital in cyberspace beyond the commonly accepted boundaries.

Addressing a delegation of cyber security journalists during the seventh edition of the CyberTech Global conference that took place from January 28 - 30 in Tel Aviv, Sikuy Shaveh, from the Equal Chances Initiative said the initial programme provides unique cyber-training for people with disabilities. 

Ram Levy, chief executive of Konfidas, who came up with the idea to integrate people with disabilities into cyberspace work said the program has garnered tremendous success.

"Graduates on the autism spectrum participate in a dedicated course that includes theoretical and practical training in the profession of cyber defence. The students who successfully pass the qualification test receive certification as Security Operations Centre (SOC) controllers," he said.

The objective of the initiative is to expand the group of human resource working professionally in cyber defence in order to enable people with disabilities to integrate into the field, where demand for workers is high.

Another program, Rising Up, targets high school girls from the religious Zionist sector who intend to volunteer for National Service, and helps them qualify to serve in Israel's leading cyber defence agencies. 

Over three years, from 10th to 12th grade, the programme provides specialised cyber and technology training in weekly after-school sessions, as well as personal guidance and preparation for the participants' future posting.

Rising Up is a joint venture of the National Cyber Directorate and  the Cyber Education Center of the Rashi Foundation, which aims to tap the potential of this group in cyber and technology fields and increase the workforce diversity in the Israeli high-tech industry.

As part of the Deputy Chief of Staff programme to prepare combat soldiers for civilian life, another unique program dubbed Cyber Warriors trains soldiers who are about to be discharged from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in cyber fields, and qualifies them to work in the profession of cyber defence applications.

Here they work in aspects of installation, management, and operation of cyber defence products, implementation of routine security processes, and identification and initial handling of security incidents relying on their recognition of types of threats and attacks and how to handle them. 

The programme aims to increase the volume of manpower in the field and provide professional training according to the standards set by the National Cyber Directorate for cyber professions.

"We treat cyber tech with seriousness because the field is becoming very dangerous, complex and sophisticated. We must take robust actions for risk assessment for situational awareness through our national initiatives," said Yigal Unna, Director General of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate when he addressed delegates.

A senior Israeli cyber security source said the Holy Land lives in an insecure region where attacks can happen in milliseconds through proxies as cyber criminals use Artificial Intelligence to hack into systems for espionage and financial theft.