Zohar Ben David, Director of the Sectoral Cyber Unit at the Ministry of Communications, stated: “The Ministry views, with great importance, increasing awareness of the prevention of cyber attacks on the State of Israel in general and on the telecommunications companies in particular and therefore initiated, through the Sectoral Cyber Unit and in cooperation with the National Cyber Agency and other government agencies – the first cyber trustee course for communications company employees”. Ben David continued: “The course takes place at the facilities of the National Cyber Agency, during which the participants are exposed to various topics dealing with cyber defense and the way the enemy thinks, while focusing on areas unique to the communications sector. We see the course participants as “ambassadors” with whom we can expand the employees’ awareness of the issue and thus be of assistance to the data security teams of companies in their daily tasks.”
Ilan Bronkash, Head of the Guidance Department at the National Cyber Agency, stated: “Awareness of cyber threats is considered one of the most problematic weaknesses in the world of cyber defense. While you can always purchase another protection system and install another server update, in attacks based on human error, you have to work with the human entity.
For this reason, we promoted the first course to increase awareness in the cyber field even for officials who do not come from the cyber world, in an effort to reduce the number of attacks that succeed in making use of this factor.”
At the initiative of the Ministry of Communications, the first session of the Cyber Trustee Course will commence shortly.
The course is being held in collaboration with the National Cyber Agency and other government bodies and its purpose is to train cyber trustees (in addition to their duties) in all companies in the communications sector and other organizations, to assist and increase awareness of cyber defense in the various departments where they routinely work.
The course program, in which the employees of the communication companies take part, exposes them to the cyber threats, the thinking of the enemy and the methods of defense, with the aim of helping to increase the awareness of cyber defense among their colleagues in the workplace and in the private expanse.
The course is extraordinarily acknowledged and the course instructors make the information accessible in an easy manner and at a high professional and up to date level and focuses on the scope of the threats to the companies in the communications sector and the implications thereof for other sectors.
Cyber defense both in the workplace and in the private expanse is essential for maintaining a normal lifestyle for the entire Israeli public and is part of personal security in receiving services from various entities.
Cyber attacks on companies in the communications sector are increasing and the need for cyber defense awareness is becoming part of the daily routine of all employees.