The United States and Israel have cooperated on several cyber issues over the past five years, Daniel Shapiro, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, said last week at a cybersecurity conference.
Both countries are exchanging information on how to best protect themselves from cyber threats, promoting investment in cyber and the protection of digital infrastructure, and partner to ensure freedom of expression on the internet, Shapiro said in an address to the 5th Annual International Cybersecurity Conference at Tel Aviv University on June 23.
The United States and Israel are natural partners on cyber issues because of “our shared values and our open and democratic societies, as well as the extraordinary talent and innovation of our technical communities.”
“U.S.–Israel cooperation on cyber issues…is critical to ensuring the national security of both our countries. Both the United States and Israel are among the world’s top targets of cyber-attacks, which emanate from foreign governments, terrorist groups, and criminal organizations.”
The countries respond to the threat through “a rich and mutually beneficial dialogue between our government experts that facilitates the sharing of information on cyber threats.” Working together on building and implementing policies, mechanisms, and tools to protect cyber infrastructure is essential for defense, Shapiro said.
He explained cyber policy leaders in the American government, like the Department of Homeland Security, are in regular contact with their Israeli counterparts. “Both sides enjoy an ongoing and ever deepening dialogue and information exchange on the dynamic and rapidly evolving cyber issues.”
The ambassador also took note of the recent announcement by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) to establish Cyber Corps and is confident it will allow for more opportunities for bilateral cooperation between the countries’ military cyber experts.
Incidents like the massive OPM intrusion also push the United States to work with partners to strengthen government cybersecurity. “We are working to help partner countries develop national strategies and policies, incident response mechanisms, and other measures to ensure they can defend their networks.”
Shapiro highlighted the U.S. hopes Israel will soon ratify the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime to help coordinate on one set of cyber threats. It “seeks to harmonize national laws, improve investigative techniques, and increase cooperation among nations.”