Politics

The head of the Israel National Cyber Bureau<http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Spokesman/Pages/spokecyber111112.aspx> (INCB), Dr. Eviatar Matania, announced, yesterday (Tuesday, 13 November 2012), at the 2nd International Homeland Security Conference<http://www.israelhls2012.com/>, announced the launch of Program KIDMA.
The project is the fruit of collaboration between the INCB and the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor<http://www.moital.gov.il/CmsTamat/Rsrc/MadaanEnglish/MadaanEnglish.html> aimed at advancing research and development, and initiatives in the field of cyber security in order to maintain and strengthen the competitive potential of Israeli industry in this field in the global market.
The project, which Chief Scientist Avi Hason detailed tomorrow, will be operated for an initial period of two years beginning in 2013, with an NIS 80 million budget.
INCB head Dr. Matania said, "The State of Israel is building itself up as an international center of excellence in the field of cyber defense technologies. The INCB is building and advancing many state tools, including academic research and a dual civilian-defense plan with the Ministry of Defense Directorate for Research & Development<http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Spokesman/Pages/spokemasad311012.aspx>. We view the KIDMA program as a principal strategic tool in encouraging Israeli companies, small and large alike, to advance and strengthen the field of cyber security."

Chief Scientist Hason said, "For several years now, we have seen an interesting occurrence in the Israeli high-tech industry in the field of cyber security. This finds expression in the continual increase in the number of applications for the various kinds of support given by the Office of the Chief Scientist in this field. Several leading global companies in the cyber security field have received support from the Office of the Chief Scientist over the years. The new project is designed to provide an additional lever for industrial development in this field, which has been defined by the Government as one of special importance. We believe that these tools will increase the capabilities of new and young companies to develop in this field."