African countries should use cyber to spur GDP, IAI exec Peshin says
In a presentation at the CybertechLive Africa online conference, the senior executive emphasizes that national-level cyber challenges require national-level solutions
Eli Horn
| 13/11/2020
Screenshot from the presentation by Esti Peshin, General Manager of IAI's Cyber Division, at CybertechLive Africa.
If you're a policymaker in Africa or elsewhere trying to figure out how to boost your country's GDP amid today's uncertainties, Esti Peshin may have some valuable advice for you.
Peshin, General Manager of the Cyber Division at Israel Aerospace Industries, explained during her presentation on Thursday at the CybertechLive Africa online conference that cyber can be a key catalyst for economic growth, as statistics in Israel and other countries have shown.
"Cyber can actually move the needle on national GDP," the IAI executive said, citing statistics compiled in recent years. For example, in the case of Israel, private investment in domestic companies grew from $100 million in 2011 to more than $1.1 billion in 2018; annual exports grew fivefold from $1 billion to $5 billion during the period; and the number of cyber companies expanded from 200 in 2011 to 520 in 2018. She stressed that all of those figures are for 2018, and the sector has grown significantly since then.
Peshin also cited statistics from the World Bank, showing a clear correlation between investment in ICT and GDP, as well as the statistics for Australia's revenue that is projected to grow from 2.2 billion in 2016 to a projected $6 billion in 2026. Finally, she quoted findings in a January 2019 report by US-based think tank CSIS of a shortfall of 314,000 security professionals in the US alone. "Taking into account that an average cybersecurity professional makes on average $200,000 a year, this means that a country that establishes a cyber academy and generates cybersecurity professionals can actually move the needle on its national GDP," the executive said.
In addition, Peshin pointed out that based on a recent international study, governments that invest more in cyber risk literacy have a higher education index ranking, or in other words, government cybersecurity investment contributes to education.
As for the recent spike in cyberattacks, she noted a number of major incidents over the past few years, saying "Each and every one is a pivotal attack, and we learn from each and every one of them."
In this context, Peshin stressed the importance of cyber solutions at the national level, telling people watching the CybertechLive event in Africa and other regions that those solutions are "something you need to learn by heart" in today's reality.
"When we are talking about national-grade cyber challenges, we need national-grade solutions" that incorporate first and foremost state-of-the-art technology, she said.
Israel has a host of state-of-the-art cyber technologies that can be utilized, but technology alone is insufficient. Also needed is effective methodology on utilizing the technology effectively; constant innovation to evolve and adapt to new cyber challenges and technologies; national and international collaboration, so organizations share information with each other and thus mitigate threats; and buildup of national cyber hygiene to defend against cyberattacks, according to Peshin.
The IAI executive said that there are six essential cyber challenges: a skills deficit, as there are more cyber attackers than defenders; the balancing of cybersecurity and business needs, as COVID-19 has altered the way we operate in various domains; digital trust and authorization, as we increasingly utilize online infrastructure; cloud transformation, as we transition to better infrastructure with more bandwidth and more data; automation of cyber security, so we can be constantly protected while operating online; and cyber resilience and defense, so we can better protect our nation-states.
Peshin served for 11 years in an elite technology unit of the IDF and held a number of senior positions in the cyber industry before joining IAI.
In a presentation at the CybertechLive Africa online conference, the senior executive emphasizes that national-level cyber challenges require national-level solutions
Screenshot from the presentation by Esti Peshin, General Manager of IAI's Cyber Division, at CybertechLive Africa.
If you're a policymaker in Africa or elsewhere trying to figure out how to boost your country's GDP amid today's uncertainties, Esti Peshin may have some valuable advice for you.
Peshin, General Manager of the Cyber Division at Israel Aerospace Industries, explained during her presentation on Thursday at the CybertechLive Africa online conference that cyber can be a key catalyst for economic growth, as statistics in Israel and other countries have shown.
"Cyber can actually move the needle on national GDP," the IAI executive said, citing statistics compiled in recent years. For example, in the case of Israel, private investment in domestic companies grew from $100 million in 2011 to more than $1.1 billion in 2018; annual exports grew fivefold from $1 billion to $5 billion during the period; and the number of cyber companies expanded from 200 in 2011 to 520 in 2018. She stressed that all of those figures are for 2018, and the sector has grown significantly since then.
Peshin also cited statistics from the World Bank, showing a clear correlation between investment in ICT and GDP, as well as the statistics for Australia's revenue that is projected to grow from 2.2 billion in 2016 to a projected $6 billion in 2026. Finally, she quoted findings in a January 2019 report by US-based think tank CSIS of a shortfall of 314,000 security professionals in the US alone. "Taking into account that an average cybersecurity professional makes on average $200,000 a year, this means that a country that establishes a cyber academy and generates cybersecurity professionals can actually move the needle on its national GDP," the executive said.
In addition, Peshin pointed out that based on a recent international study, governments that invest more in cyber risk literacy have a higher education index ranking, or in other words, government cybersecurity investment contributes to education.
As for the recent spike in cyberattacks, she noted a number of major incidents over the past few years, saying "Each and every one is a pivotal attack, and we learn from each and every one of them."
In this context, Peshin stressed the importance of cyber solutions at the national level, telling people watching the CybertechLive event in Africa and other regions that those solutions are "something you need to learn by heart" in today's reality.
"When we are talking about national-grade cyber challenges, we need national-grade solutions" that incorporate first and foremost state-of-the-art technology, she said.
Israel has a host of state-of-the-art cyber technologies that can be utilized, but technology alone is insufficient. Also needed is effective methodology on utilizing the technology effectively; constant innovation to evolve and adapt to new cyber challenges and technologies; national and international collaboration, so organizations share information with each other and thus mitigate threats; and buildup of national cyber hygiene to defend against cyberattacks, according to Peshin.
The IAI executive said that there are six essential cyber challenges: a skills deficit, as there are more cyber attackers than defenders; the balancing of cybersecurity and business needs, as COVID-19 has altered the way we operate in various domains; digital trust and authorization, as we increasingly utilize online infrastructure; cloud transformation, as we transition to better infrastructure with more bandwidth and more data; automation of cyber security, so we can be constantly protected while operating online; and cyber resilience and defense, so we can better protect our nation-states.
Peshin served for 11 years in an elite technology unit of the IDF and held a number of senior positions in the cyber industry before joining IAI.
