Most Cyber Products Will Not Be Included Under New Supervision Law

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About two weeks after publishing the draft of the export law for supervision on cyber export, and as part of the talks between exporters backed by the ministry of defense and the National Cyber Bureau at the prime minister’s office, head of the Defense Export Controls Agency (DECA), Dubi Lavi, met with dozens of the heads of the cyber industry in Israel. The purpose of the meeting was to present the draft of the export law, to answer questions and mostly to relieve exporters’ concerns regarding the fields which the government is intending to supervise.

“the law was drafted after a long process of more than years, including all bodies of government and headed by the National Cyber Bureau,” said head of DECA to the exporters. “We’ve held prior meetings with leading cyber companies, we’ve incorporated their suggestions to the draft, the ministry of defense and cyber bureau are willing to listen to any comment or suggestion.”

Head of DECA made it clear to exporters that “supervision will only apply to necessary things. 99% of the world of defense will not be under supervision, which will only apply to the world of collection and attacks, as such products are being used as weapons. But even in that field we will only supervise the matters necessary for national security.” Lavi explained that in working on the law’s draft, the need of the Israeli cyber industries to work with parent companies abroad was taken into account. That is why there will be no supervision on the communications between the parent company abroad and the company in Israel, or vice versa. The same will apply to international companies operating offices in Israel. Academic researches which deal with knowledge that can be shared to the public will also not be supervised.

“We have created a proper balance between the needs of the market and security. We have taken calculated risks and freed many fields from supervision.” Head of DECA also revealed in the meeting that in the past three years, the ministry of defense has issued 900 licenses for exporting cyber products. There is an advantage of having the ministry of defense issuing licenses. It is a “hallmark” for the Israeli industry and a confirmation that the regulator will not prevent export. “The National Cyber Bureau and ministry of defense understand well that the world of cyber is a financial locomotive. Our interest, first and foremost, is to encourage the development and prosperity of this field. That is why we have created a balance between the need to supervise, and the possibility of advancing the Israeli cyber industry in Israel and abroad.”

Lavi told participants of the meeting that the ministry of defense will establish a designated mechanism for issuing fast-track cyber licenses in order to answer the dynamic needs of this world.