Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 09 | Page 57

COUNTRY FOCUS: ISRAEL comes down to security talent. Israel’s mandatory military service, combined with the Ministry of Defence’s large investment in cybersecurity capabilities are generating a constant stream of talented, trained and experienced personnel coming out of the military and straight into the inviting high salaries and perks of the hi-tech industry. In addition, many of the top universities in the country offer students cybersecurity programmes, allowing them to hone their skills in a classroom environment before embarking on a career at one of Israel’s many security companies. Many students will have a job secured or be carrying out work experience even before www.intelligentcio.com they have graduated. The government and private sector are always searching for security talent and universities are the first place they look. One other area that works in Israel’s favour is the close-knit community within the cybersecurity industry. Most organisations are located in a few key areas, which essentially means that bumping into a cybersecurity investor is a lot more likely than it would be in other cybersecurity hubs, like California for example. With all of these factors combined, Israel has become the perfect breeding ground for cybersecurity talent, start-ups and tech.” n Eldad Chai, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Imperva INTELLIGENTCIO 57