Israel Active

Cybertech 2016 in Tel Aviv proved that Israel is a cyber superpower (see report by Adam Segal linked below). Also, more Israeli cybersecurity startups get their first mention in my newsletter. IronScales protects companies from phishing attacks. GreenSQL has rebranded as HexaTier and protects databases in the Cloud.  

Israel’s EdenShield has completed studies in Italy, Spain and Israel that show its non-toxic natural pesticides protect crops without damage to the environment. In fact, the plants don’t need to be sprayed at all – EdenShield’s Net product is sprayed on the netting and vents of the greenhouse.

Israel’s TopSpin Security detects and stops cyber attackers who have already breached an organization’s perimeter and are now attempting to steal or damage internal assets. TopSpin has just obtained $7 million of funding.

Israeli startup Gingee has developed Curve – app metrics tools for marketers and developers to review metrics of their app on a single dashboard from multiple mobile platforms. Its most beneficial use is in helping transfer an app to another platform (e.g. from Android to iPhone).

In Nov 2015, Israel’s Windward tracked 10,000 vessels entering Europe. Of those, 650 ships originated from, crossed or entered the territorial waters of Libya, Syria and Lebanon. Among those 650, 34 of them reported a fake identity. Is the world listening?

Security experts at Israeli companies BugSec and CyNet have helped smartphone manufacturers LG fix a major security flaw in their popular LG G3 device. It is the second time in a month that the team has uncovered a breach in cybersecurity that could have exposed millions to hackers.

Here are seven Israeli startups that I hadn’t previously reported. Audioburst (radio search engine), AzurePCR (virus and bacteria identification), DaPulse (project collaboration), Fairfly (price saver), Fraudlogix (fraud detection), Riskified (credit card checker) and Tipalti (automatic payments).

Last week I finally experienced my first-ever ride on the Jerusalem light railway Red line from the Bus Station to Jaffa Central. So I was pleased to read that a second line has now been approved. The 20km Blue line will connect Northern and Southern Jerusalem districts.

A team from Ben Gurion University, working with Deutsche Telekom, has been able to track the source of botnets - illicit and secretive networks that have turned half a billion computers into zombies that try to crash websites, send out spam or run click fraud scams.

Ben Gurion University will launch a cybertech program for international students this summer focusing on data mining and business intelligence. In addition, students will visit leading Israeli companies to gain practical experience and enhance their understanding in the field.