Israel and the Cyber Threat

In today’s podcast INSS researcher Adi Kantor sits down with Prof. Chuck Freilich, a senior researcher at INSS and a former deputy national security adviser in Israel. Together they discuss Prof. Freilich’s latest book titled Israel and the Cyber Threat: How the Startup Nation Became a Global Cyber Power (co-authored with Mathew S. Cohen and Gabi Siboni). This book is the first comprehensive study on the cyber threats Israel faces and the national strategy it has developed in response. What exactly do we mean when we say “cyber”? How is it related to national security? What is so different about the cyber realm, and what explains its growing importance in the public discourse, especially in our days? How did Israel become a cyber power ten years ago? What is unique in the “Israeli way” that created this international success? What is a “cyberattack,” and what are the current threats facing Israel in this field? And finally, where is Israel headed when it comes to cyber capabilities?