The Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, in cooperation with Israel's National Cyber Directorate (INCD) and Team8, on Tuesday hosted a cyber-security event at the UN.
The event was held against the backdrop of increased cyber-attacks around the world against private companies and countries. The speakers at the event spoke about the cooperation required between countries and private companies to protect citizens from attack.
In his remarks, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said, "As a cyber defense powerhouse, Israel has a deep sense of duty to support others in the field. And by assisting Member States in fortifying their cyber defense abilities, we create a win-win situation for all. A safer future for everyone."
"Today, in an age where the battlefield is moving from geographical arenas to the digital-sphere, the key to achieving collective defense is by working as a joint global team. And the UN, the center stage of international diplomacy, is an ideal place to pursue such a crucial mission," he added.
"It is here, that we share best practices, hold discussions, and learn from one another. And it is here that we can build an iron dome – a defensive shield – against cyber-attacks and digital threats."
"It is the responsibility of all of us to work side-by-side to ensure the safety of each of us," said Erdan.
As part of the event, senior technology officials discussed cooperation with the aim of producing new tools to deal with the threats of cyber-attacks on vital civilian infrastructure including hospitals, banks, government offices, and more.
Nadav Zafrir, the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team 8 said, "We need to work together to bring all nations above the cyber poverty line. First, we should acknowledge that digital infrastructure is critical infrastructure. We should understand that knowledge sharing is the right thing to do. Then, we should create an environment for world collaboration and build the technologies to do so."
The United States' Principal Deputy National Cyber Director Kemba Eneas Walden, the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team8 Nadav Zafrir, the UN's Chief Information Technology Officer Assistant Secretary-General Bernando Mariano Joaquim Junior, and the INCD's Executive Director of International Cooperation Aviram Atzaba addressed the event. In addition, there was a panel hosted by Zafrir with cyber experts from the private sector including Microsoft, Rockwell Automation, and JupiterOne. The experts discussed the promotion of partnerships between the public and private sectors in defensive cyber.