Israel Army's Cyber-Knowhow Aids Companies Hiring Hackers
As the Flame virus wreaks havoc with Iranian computer systems, Israeli software companies say their country’s expertise with such cyber weapons has created a pool of army-trained hacking talent to hire from.
Billionaire Gil Shwed, who served in an elite intelligence unit, says he has recruited from the military for his Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (CHKP) (CHKP), the world’s second-largest maker of security networks. Cyber-Ark Software Ltd., another specialist in cyber-defense that sold a stake to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in December, finds top programmers in units that include the army’s nine-year program for exceptional math and science students, Chief Executive Officer Udi Mokady said.
Israel is among the leaders in a global growth industry as governments seek to defend financial systems, power plants and other public resources against cyber threats. The ingenuity of hackers, long regarded as pests bent on penetrating computers for mischief and profit, has become a critical resource with military and commercial payoffs, as Israeli companies seek a share of an $18 billion market.
