Israel-Gaza War: Ironscales, Deep Instinct, More In Shock Over Hamas Attack
What this conflict will mean for the cybersecurity industry remains to be seen.
![Israel-Gaza War Israel-Gaza War](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt4833c44de158f8e0/6537c3e5ebc4e3232016bbaf/Israel-at-War.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
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Israel has already called up 300,000 reservists for its military amid the war with Hamas. That could impact personnel at various cybersecurity firms located in the region, according to investment firm Raymond James.
“Check Point Software, Palo Alto Networks and CyberArk Software are examples of organizations that call out the risk of employees being obligated to perform annual military reserve duty and could be called into active duty,” analyst Adam Tindle wrote in a note obtained by Seeking Alpha. “We certainly hope for a different outcome but will have to monitor this for threat of disruption to operations.”
Eyal Benishti, CEO of Ironscales, said as an Israeli-founded company, “we are deeply saddened by the events currently unfolding in Israel, and extend as much prayer, care and support as possible to all the Ironscales employees, customers and partners in the region.
“The magnitude of suffering and devastation seen in this conflict is unlike anything in recent memory, and we would like to emphasize that we stand firmly with the nation of Israel and its citizens, both at home and abroad,” he said. “Our collective hope is for a swift, peaceful resolution and a brighter future for all. But, sadly, there are malicious actors in the world that have already begun efforts to exploit this tragic event for personal gain.”
Ironscales‘ Eyal Benishti said all organizations should exercise an abundance of caution and more vigilance as it relates to their operational cybersecurity at this time.
“The following recommendations apply for all organizations and should help dispel the lion’s share of these types of opportunistic attacks,” he said. “First, do not trust new channels, emails or requests for information until you’ve verified that the contact is who they claim to be and that there are no other parties in the communication channel. Be on the lookout for things like invitations to new WhatsApp groups, unsolicited text messages, social media invites and any other novel contact outside your primary channels of communication. Also, be wary of requests to gain or restore access to networks, accounts or files from employees or vendors alleging to have lost credentials. Always make sure to validate both the identity of the contact and the security of the channel. Second, if you choose to donate to a foundation to support efforts in Israel, we urge you to be diligent in your analysis of the organization and be sure to confirm its authenticity before sending money. This is doubly true in the case of unsolicited, direct requests for aid. And above all else, never hesitate to reach out to your security team if you have any questions, concerns or doubts.”
While it’s facing uncertainties globally, Ironscales remains focused on serving and securing its customers, Benishti said.
“Our business operations continue uninterrupted, and our dedicated team of Ironscales experts are here to support you as always,” he said. “Our primary commitments are to the safety of our employees in Israel and the security of our customers around the world. Thank you for your partnership. With you, we remain resilient, united and stronger together.”
Deep Instinct, which was founded in Tel Aviv and maintains a strong presence there, said it’s “devastated by the shocking events that have unfolded in Israel.”
“These horrifying attacks have brought us together in support of our Israeli colleagues who, thankfully, are all safe and accounted for,” it said. “Unfortunately, many have friends and family members who lost their lives, and several of our colleagues are on the front lines now fighting for Israel. We are still in the process of conducting a full evaluation, but the initial assessment is that there is no material business impact on Deep Instinct. All our infrastructure is in the public cloud, so there is no risk of data loss or service degradation.”
Nice Systems, which is based in Ra’anana, Israel, sent us the following statement regarding the crisis in Israel:
“Nice is a global company with more than 44 offices worldwide. Our heart goes out to the people of Israel, and we are providing the needed support to our local employees. The situation in Israel has no current or future impact to our operations.”
Grip Security tells us its clients and their loved ones are OK. And Check Point says its operations continue as normal. Check Point has been planning its 30th anniversary festivities for Nov. 6-8 in Tel Aviv, but no word yet on the status of the upcoming event in light of the conflict.
Grip Security tells us its clients and their loved ones are OK. And Check Point says its operations continue as normal. Check Point has been planning its 30th anniversary festivities for Nov. 6-8 in Tel Aviv, but no word yet on the status of the upcoming event in light of the conflict.
Israel is known as a global cybersecurity hub, and now companies based there are dealing with widespread attacks by Hamas across the country and the ensuing all-out war.
Among cybersecurity companies and others in the channel that call Israel home are Check Point Software Technologies, Cato Networks, Cybersixgill, Radware, Dig Security, Privatise, Grip Security, Nice Systems and more.
Few companies are ready to go on the record with how the Israel-Gaza war is impacting them.
Rik Turner, senior principal analyst with Omdia, which shares a parent company with Channel Futures (Informa), said people from various companies are telling him some of their younger colleagues have been called up to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), “with everyone else just keeping the business going, as you’d expect.”
Israel-Gaza War: Cybersecurity Professionals Likely Heading to Front Lines
News broke on Monday that Israel was calling up 300,000 reservists, “which means there is a good chance that some of the folks who’ve spoken to us over the last couple of years will be receiving the call to go back into uniform, and I’m sending a few emails now to see if I can find out any more about how they all are,” Turner said.
Omdia’s Rik Turner
“One guy commented that ‘Israel will prevail, but will also never be the same,'” he said. “Clearly, the immediate priority will be the armed response, which looks set to be massive and have tragic consequences for the civilian population of Gaza. [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has alluded ominously to it ‘changing the Middle East forever,’ whatever that means. In a few weeks’ time however, I suspect they’ll be taking a long hard look at the role played by military intelligence and shaking things up somehow. What that will mean for the cyber industry, once everyone is back in their civilian clothes, remains to be seen.”
See our slideshow above for more on the impact of the Israel-Gaza war on cybersecurity companies and others in Israel.
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