Unit 8200's Influence: Israeli Tech Entrepreneurs Thrive in Silicon Valley with Cybersecurity Expertise

News Bulletin Reports
2024-09-01 | 11:40
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Unit 8200's Influence: Israeli Tech Entrepreneurs Thrive in Silicon Valley with Cybersecurity Expertise
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Unit 8200's Influence: Israeli Tech Entrepreneurs Thrive in Silicon Valley with Cybersecurity Expertise

A report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

Silicon Valley, the global hub of technology and innovation in the US state of California. There, many Israeli companies and entrepreneurs stand out, and they all share a common trait: Unit 8200 of Israel.

Unit 8200 is responsible for 90% of Israel's intelligence, and the Mossad does not undertake any major operation without it, according to the unit's former commander Yair Cohen. Unit 8200 is tasked with intercepting, deciphering, and analyzing electronic communications, in addition to cyber defense for Israel's critical infrastructure.

The unit, which recruits Israeli soldiers between the ages of 18 and 21, has produced many cybersecurity experts, many of whom have used their experience in Unit 8200 to establish their own companies or technological innovations.

More about Unit 8200 and Silicon Valley was revealed in a report by The Wall Street Journal, which disclosed that at least five tech companies founded by Unit 8200 graduates are listed on US stock exchanges, with a combined value of around $160 billion.

One of these companies was founded by Kobi Samboursky, a graduate of Unit 8200, called Glilot Capital Partners, which invests in startups in technology fields, particularly those founded or led by Unit 8200 graduates.

Samboursky named his company GLILOT after the unit's military base on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, which Hezbollah targeted in retaliation for the assassination of its military commander, Fuad Shukr.

The WSJ also reports that, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, a Unit 8200 graduate founded the infamous Pegasus software, which has been used by governments to access the devices of journalists and embassy staff.

News Bulletin Reports

Israel

Silicon Valley

US

Technology

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