Israeli Entrepreneurs Play Both Sides of the Cyber Wars
Summary
NSO Group, which was created by Omri Lavie and Shalev Hulio, sells offensive cyber capabilities that allow governments to remotely infect smartphones with spyware without leaving a trace. That’s allowing startups such as NSO and Kaymera to play opposing sides of the cyber wars, with one selling offensive spying capabilities to governments while the other peddles products that defend against that same technology. Endgame, based in Arlington, Virginia, provides “situational awareness” of cyber activities that can be used for offense or defense, and sells primarily to the U.S. government. Rosen said that Snowdens revelations have made the “market aware of the threats that are out there and since we started, multiple players have jumped on the wagon.” With offices in Herzliya and Geneva, Kaymera sells to both governments and companies, including many European customers. Companies with offensive expertise, like installing spyware that can read text messages or surreptitiously record conversations, are a “very scarce resource” and will have an advantage in the cyber defense market as military-grade attacks become more common, Cowan said.
Classifications
AskAI Classifications
LabelsLinked Companies
