Knights of the South: The New Israeli Cyber Defenders

Knights of the South: The New Israeli Cyber Defenders

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A center for cyberspace defense – new center opened in the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva – A cooperation between Ben Gurion University and the National Cyber Command

9706708_ml featureThe Ben Gurion University in Be’er Sheva signed an agreement with Israel’s National Cyber Command, aimed at establishing a new cyber-security center in the southern city.

Professor Dan Bloomberg, BGU’s designated Vice President and Dean of Research and Development, said that 30 million shekels will be invested in the new center over the next three years. According to Prof. Bloomberg the center will promote theoretical research aimed at developing cyber-related technologies. The center will be directed by Prof. Yuval Alovich from the Department of Information Systems Engineering, and will be a part of the Ben Gurion University’s Center for National and Social Security.

Over the past decade millions of dollars have been invested in Be’er Sheva as part of agreements with the German giant Deutsche Telecom, in order to advance the university and place it as a world leader in cyber research.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Researchers have been gaining prestige, while international cyber-security companies were assisted by the university’s human resources and scientific infrastructure. Companies such as RSA, EMC, Deutsche Telecom and NESS Technologies are all cooperating with the university and the nearby high-tech industrial park.

This week international giant Lockheed Martin established a local branch in the southern city, while IBM is set to establish a research center there in cooperating with the university. Ben Gurion management believes that these latest developments create a proper environment for promoting infrastructure, research, assets, technologies, researchers and students in cyber-security.