"More than 90% of organizations fail to protect themselves properly against cyber threats"

This statement was made by Gil Shwed, Check Point's CEO, at the opening plenary of CyberTech 2017. The Head of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, Dr. Eviatar Matania, added that Israel is currently one of the world leaders in the development of cybersecurity technologies and strategies

"More than 90% of organizations fail to protect themselves properly against cyber threats"

Dr. Matania said that the years that have passed attest to the abundance of cyber threats worldwide. Israel has been one of the first countries to prepare for the cybersecurity challenges through three primary processes. The first process – providing education and information on all cyber-related issues to the business world and the industry. The second process – the establishment of the National Cyber Authority, another move where, once again, Israel has been a world pioneer. The third process – developing cyber technology R&D processes throughout the country, including the industry, academia and educational institutions. In all of these fields, Israel is an established world leader in education, information and the development of cybersecurity technologies.

Professor Rivka Carmi, President of the Ben-Gurion University, elaborated on the "Cyber Silicon Valley" being developed in Beersheba, adjacent to the Ben-Gurion University. The project already includes 50 international corporations, 50 start-up companies and hundreds of employees, most of whom are students, researchers and specialists in the various aspects of cyber technology.

"As far as the field of cyberattacks is concerned, the future is already here. While all of us are connected to computer systems and mobile devices, cyberattacks continue and will continue in the future. Attacks are expected against the cloud, mobile device systems and industrial and national systems." That was how Gil Shwed, CEO of Check Point Software Technologies, described the current state of cybersecurity. He mentioned an incident that took place earlier this week – where the guests of a hotel in Austria were trapped in their rooms owing to a cyberattack against the room key system. Shwed reported, based on his own personal experience, that he had acquired a new device for his baby son – an electronic cradle, except that the cradle failed to function after someone had hacked the Internet layout that supports that cradle.

Addressing the opening plenary of the CyberTech 2017 Conference, Gil Shwed presented statistics indicating that more than 90% of users fail to acquire cybersecurity systems and new protective technologies, mainly owing to the mistaken assumption that "we will not be harmed."

What is the solution, then? Gil Shwed: "The correct approach is to develop and build a single, standard cybersecurity system that would handle the various types of threats against the cloud, against mobile devices and against data centers and computer systems. The key word is prevention – preventing cyberattacks, and in order to develop systems for preventing cyberattacks, intelligence should be collected regarding the various attackers. The architecture should be developed and various cybersecurity technologies should be integrated into a single system that would be offered to the clients and provide them with effective protection against attacks aimed at the cloud, mobile devices, data centers and computer systems. "The risks imposed by attacks against cybersecurity currently extend from a baby in the cradle to a guest in his/her hotel room, to the presidential elections in the USA to the mobile phone that every one of us carries. Cybersecurity is under a constant, day-by-day attack at various levels – from the national/state level to the ordinary individual in his/her home. Today the industry is aware of the dangers and threats, and we should develop standard cybersecurity systems and convince people to use them so as to cope with the potential damage to cybersecurity through preventive measures."

 

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