Israel to Unify National Cyber Units

Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to merge the National Cyber Bureau and the National Cyber Authority into a single agency that will oversee Israel's cyber defense

Israel to Unify National Cyber Units

Photo: AP

The Israeli government on Sunday approved a decision brought forth by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to merge the Israeli National Cyber Bureau with the National Cybersecurity Authority into one cybersecurity entity: the Israeli National Cyber Directorate.

The INCD will be in charge of setting policy and building the country’s cyber defense apparatus, as well as assuming responsibility for operations.

According to The Jewish Press, the decision caps a process that began in 2012, when Prime Minister Netanyahu established the National Cyber Bureau in order to lead strategy and to set national policy on cyber defense. Later, in 2015, the National Cyber Defense Authority was established to serve as the primary operations arm of the country’s cyber apparatus.

"Several years ago I set a vision that Israel would be one of the five great cyber powers in the world," Netanyahu said. "And indeed we are meeting this goal: Whoever has visited the cyber authority in Be’er Sheva – not every civilian can do so – gains the impression that we are among the leaders, if not the leader, in the world in defending our citizens, their bank accounts, our electricity grid and all of our other essential infrastructures against cyber-attack."

Last week, the Prime Minister's Office announced that the head of Israel’s National Cyber Bureau and National Cyber Directorate, Dr. Eviatar Matania, will leave his position by the end of the year. The Prime Minister said that he would recommend a candidate to head the INCD soon.