The Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, in cooperation with Israel's National Cyber Directorate (INCD) and Team8, hosted a cyber-security event yesterday at the United Nations (UN) to discuss the ways in which countries, governments and the private sector can collaborate to create a cyber-safer world.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005933/en/

From left to right: Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, the INCD's Executive Director of International Cooperation Aviram Atzaba, the Corporate Vice President of Security Business Development at Microsoft Ann Johnson, and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team8, Nadav Zafrir. (Photo credit: Team8)

The event, themed “Stronger Together”, was held against the backdrop of increased cyber-attacks around the world against private companies and countries.

Speakers at the event included:

• The United States' Principal Deputy National Cyber Director Kemba Eneas Walden
• Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team8, Nadav Zafrir
• The UN's Chief Information Technology Officer Assistant Secretary-General, Bernando Mariano Joaquim Junior
• The INCD's Executive Director of International Cooperation, Aviram Atzaba
• Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Ann Johnson
• JupiterOne CISO & Head of Research, Sounil Yu
• and Former Chief Strategist of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)’s COVID Task Force, Joshua Corman

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.

“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."

Nadav Zafrir, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Team8 said: "The internet has become a critical infrastructure. We are at a unique point in the history of technology and global cooperation is key to cyber resilience.

“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."

Bernardo Mariano Junior, The UN's Chief Information Technology Officer, said that “Collaboration for cyber security requires commitment that goes beyond what we are currently doing. We are lagging behind and we must do better. The digital transformation is already happening and no institution is immune to threats. We all need to be aware that the threat landscape has evolved. We need to reinvent and recreate security concepts at an early stage. My hope is that this event will look at this as a challenge we need to take to the next level to ensure that protection of digital assets is better.”

Aviram Atzaba, Executive Director International Cooperation, Israel National Cyber Directorate added: “The future is here and we need to work together to develop a digital trustworthy world. This requires teamwork -- working together, government and industry to develop services and solutions. A cyber dome.”

To watch the full recording of the event: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1f/k1ft7jy68n

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230118005933/en/