The Israeli government is collaborating with the Kenyan government to assist in the construction of a “Cyber-Dome” – a national defense system – to combat increasing digital attacks.
According to Business Daily, the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), a State-run defense entity devoted to protecting Israeli cyberspace, is assisting the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) in protecting the country’s communications networks.
Through its Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Israeli Cyber Directorate has been working to strengthen the protection of Israeli organizations and citizens when dealing with cyber-attacks and preparing for emergencies.
“The CERT which is one of the first in the world to help secure financial institutions in Israel is co-operating with the Communication Authority of Kenya and the ICT Authority in Kenya,” Mr Arnon Arbel the minister counsellor and head of economic mission of the Embassy of Israel told Business Daily in an interview.
According to its website, the Israeli CERT receives and handles hundreds of reports and information about cyber-attack attempts or threats from local and international partners on a daily basis.
Thousands of attacks are launched against Israeli government websites and businesses every day, but the vast majority are foiled.
Israel has an air defense system known as the “Iron Dome,” which was originally designed to destroy short-range rockets.
According to Mr. Arbel, private Israeli firms such as cyber security provider Check Point Software Technologies are also interested in local deals with financial institutions such as commercial banks and other corporations.
“We have many companies that offer a variety of solutions based on need,” he said adding that Israel has a framework to ensure its cyber exports do not fall into “the wrong hands.”
NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance firm, has been accused of selling and misusing its hacking software Pegasus to authoritarian governments around the world.
Pegasus infects phones, allowing operators to extract messages, photos, and emails, record calls, and activate microphones and cameras in the background.
“We have a mechanism to prevent such technologies from falling into the wrong hands,” he said.
The London-based charity Privacy International recently ranked Israel as one of the top five countries in the world for surveillance technologies, with 27 companies selling such systems.
Last year, Israel led ten countries in a US-backed simulation of a major cyberattack on the global financial system in an attempt to increase cooperation that could help to mitigate any potential damage to financial markets and banks.
According to observers, Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, which also uses automation, is controversial due to its high cost, disputed effectiveness, and deployment during the ongoing Palestine/Israel conflict.
Every year, Kenyan businesses lose billions of shillings and troves of sensitive data to hackers.
According to an ICT security survey conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the CA, Kenya lost about Sh18 billion to cybercrime in 2016.
CA previously warned, through its National Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre (National KE-CIRT/CC), that cyber criminals have changed tactics and are now delivering threats to unsuspecting users in an attempt to compromise and steal their data.
The CA’s warning came after similar warnings from local regulators.
