The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD COE) released a report Wednesday detailing Israel’s continued position as global leader in cyber security research and development.

The CCD COE published “National Cyber Security Organisation in Israel,” which described Israel’s proactive approach to cyber security across governmental and private sectors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: U.S. Department of State
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: U.S. Department of State

“Israel’s establishment of national cyber security measures and institutions came about relatively early and continues to develop in the face of a challenging environment of military and civilian threats,” the report said.

Cyber security became an official national objective in Nov. 2010, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the National Cyber Initiative. A task force was then assembled, consisting of 80 specialists from the military, governmental agencies, academia and the private sector, that was tasked with recommending initiatives to establish Israel as a global leader in cyber efforts.

The task force proposed several resolutions, including the establishment of the National Cyber Bureau (INCB), the country’s first consolidated advisory board on cyber security issues. The INCB is responsible for improving the management of cyberspace capabilities, fixing the defense of national infrastructures, advancing Israel’s status as a leader in the development of information technologies and encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation on cyber efforts.

“In general, the current implementation of national cyber security objectives and priorities in Israel can be characterized by increasing public transparency, institutional innovation, and governmental investment in both short-term objectives and long-term ones,”  Deborah Housen-Couriel, the author of the study, said in a statement.

In Aug. 2016, Israel’s legislative body, the Knesset, passed a counter-terrorism law which broadened the definition of a terrorist act to include damage done to critical information systems and infrastructure.

In the private sector, Israel has 360 cyber security companies and in 2016 it exported around $6 billion in cyber-related products and market financing.