With a new year around the corner, now’s a great time to refresh where you’re getting your cyber industry news.
One of the greatest ways to learn about an industry is to hear insights from its top experts.
And the cybersecurity field is certainly not lacking in experienced, knowledgeable specialists that can help you optimize your cyber strategy.
New data from Momentum Cyber found that in 2021, cyber startups raised an unprecedented$29.5 billion in venture capital, more than doubling the amount raised in 2020.
This flourishing industry will only continue gaining relevance and spotlight as the need for security increases.
Luckily for you, we’ve gathered the top 15 cybersecurity influencers breaking new ground, so we can all learn from their experience and know who and what to keep an eye out for. Without further ado, these are the top cybersecurity influencers to follow in 2023:
1. Assaf Rappaport
Wiz is on a mission to help organizations create secure cloud environments by identifying and removing the most critical cyber risks. The company recently received a valuation of $6 billion, making it the fastest growing cybersecurity company to date.
For Assaf Rappaport, being Co-Founder and CEO at Wiz isn’t his first entrepreneurial rodeo. After his time as a software engineer in the IDF and as a consultant at Mckinsey & Company, he co-founded a cloud security company, Adallom, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2015. Now, Assaf is taking cybersecurity to new heights with the startup that everybody’s talking about.
2. Dean Sysman
Enabling companies around the world to control complexity, Axonius’s cybersecurity management platform enables asset inventory, uncovers security gaps, and automates action. Founded in 2017, the company has received plenty of recognition, including landing on the CNBC Upstart 100 list and Forbes 20 Rising Stars.
Axonius’s CEO and Co-Founder, Dean Sysman, is a distinguished cybersecurity expert and entrepreneur. Not only has he been selected for the Forbes Israel 30 under 30 list and won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, but he also previously founded another cyber company called Cymmetria that was acquired by private equity in 2019. Keep an eye on this one – we know we will!
3. Adi Sharabani
If you’re in the world of cyber, you’ve likely heard of Snyk, the Developer Security Platform empowering developers and security teams around the world to build secure applications. With over 1,200 customers and $775 M in funding, Snyk is paving the cyber path.
Leading the company’s tech innovation journey is Adi Sharabani, CTO of Snyk. With various impressive experiences under his belt, including as CEO and co-founder of Skycure and leader of security for IBM software products, Adi provides the cyber expertise needed to continue pushing Snyk to the forefront of the industry.
4. Yuval Lazar
Pentera’s state-of-the-art automated security validation solution allows organizations to test the integrity of all cybersecurity layers in real-time, at any scale. With a variety of awards under its belt and a recent $150 million C round, Pentera is the highest-valued company in its category.
Yuval Lazar, security researcher at Pentera, plays a key role in the company’s success and is a major player in the cybersecurity industry. She was named on the list of the “Top 25 Women Leaders in Cybersecurity,” and is sure to continue breaking new cyber ground in the future.
5. Lior Div
If you’re looking for protection against future cyber-attacks from industry experts, look no further than Cybereason. Made up of minds from the military, government intelligence, and enterprise security, Cybereason has raised $664 million to date and answers pressing needs to protect against cyber and ransomware attacks.
Lior Div is the brilliant co-founder and CEO behind Cybereason. He received an IDF Medal of Honor for outstanding achievements as a commander and leader of an elite cybersecurity unit, and before Cybereason, he was the founder of another cyber company called AlfaTech.
6.Guy Tytunovich
CHEQ is paving the path for Go-to-Market security (GTMSec) with its groundbreaking solution that protects companies from invalid traffic. With over 14,000 customers around the world and an array of awards in their portfolio, CHEQ is sure to go places.
Leading the company to the forefront of the industry is Guy Tytunovich, its Founder and CEO. Guy has founded multiple startups in the past, all along the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, NLP, and martech. He was driven to launch CHEQ in order to “safeguard the world’s leading brands through the use of new, cutting-edge technology.”
7. Keren Elazari
Founded in 2015, Leading Cyber Ladies is a movement that aims to achieve greater diversity, representation, and equality within the cybersecurity field. Leading Cyber Ladies hold various cyber meetups all around the world to provide opportunities for members to speak about their work, network with other women in cyber, and create a welcoming community.
Keren Elezari is one of two co-founders of Leading Cyber Ladies, as well as a security researcher, distinguished public speaker, and industry analyst.
Her op-ed essays and columns have appeared in distinguished publications, and her TED talk has helped shape the global conversation about hackers and their growing role in our digital society, making her a leading cybersecurity influencer.
8. Ilan Barda
Radiflow, a global vendor for Industrial Cybersecurity offers products and services to detect, monitor, and mitigate cyber risk in ICS environments.
The company supports end-users and channel partners to provide a fully managed lifecycle of ICS cyber management solutions, such as cyber-OT risk assessments, automated cyber threat detection platforms, and continuous MSSP services. Founded in 2009, Radiflow has offices and partners in Europe, the USA, and APAC. Its field-proven solutions are deployed in over 7,000 sites around the globe.
Ilan Barda, Founder and CEO at Radiflow, is the mind behind this successful company, which has been granted several prestigious awards for its excellence. With years of experience in telecommunications and cybersecurity, Ilan, together with a talented team of security professionals and developers, has led Radiflow to new heights and continued success. The recent sale of a partial ownership stake in Radiflow to the Sabanci Group will allow Radiflow to expand its presence and solutions’ deployment in EMEA and the US.
9. Michael Bargury
Zenity, founded just a year and a half ago, is the first and only security governance platform for low-code/no-code applications. The platform creates a win-win environment where IT and information security can give business and pro developers the freedom and independence they want in order to continue pushing their business forward while retaining full visibility and control.
Michael Bargury, co-founder and CTO at Zenity, is a cybersecurity expert who founded and headed security product efforts at Microsoft prior to launching this entrepreneurial venture. As leader of the OWASP community effort on low-code/no-code security and with 15 patents in the cyber field as well as regular blog contributions on DarkReading, Michael is the epitome of cyber innovators.
10. Amit Bareket
Perimeter 81 is a holistic, cloud-based solution and the world’s first Cybersecurity Experience (CSX) platform that radically simplifies cybersecurity.
Founded in 2018, it allows organizations of all industries and sizes to support the immediate desires of digital nomads with a purpose—while still granting IT teams the ability to manage it all safely.
Amit Bareket, co-founder and CEO at Perimeter 81, is an experienced cybersecurity expert with extensive knowledge in system architecture and software development. With multiple patents, an award from his alma mater, and previous entrepreneurial experience, Amit is definitely a cybersecurity expert to look out for.
11. Shaked Levy
KPMG Edge, part of KPMG Israel, is a team of advanced tech professionals with extensive knowledge of cyber architecture and solutions. Through a combination of expertise and state-of-the-art technologies, they help businesses around the world meet critical challenges. Serving global powerhouses like monday.com, Microsoft, and Google Cloud, KPMG Edge is taking cybersecurity to a whole new level.
As Head of Cyber and Information Security Services at KPMG Edge, Shaked Levy oversees the organization’s creation and implementation of innovative cyber offerings. With extensive experience in the security and IT industry and several senior executive positions under his belt, Shaked is one of the rising cybersecurity stars on everyone’s radar.
12. Itzik Kotler
SafeBreach is the pioneer in breach-and-attack simulation (BAS), empowering organizations to be proactive about security by combining the mindset of a CISO and the toolset of a hacker. Having just closed its $53.5 million Series D funding in November 2021, SafeBreach plans to expand its market footprint to new geographies and evolve its offerings in response to client needs.
Itzik Kotler is SafeBreach’s co-founder and CTO who has years of experience in the field and has been called “one of the finest minds in information security research and development.” Not only does he advance SafeBreach’s business and technological sharpness, but he is also a security researcher and frequent speaker at conferences.
13. Galina Antova
Claroty empowers industrial, healthcare, and commercial organizations to secure all cyber-physical systems in their environments: the Extended Internet of Things. Backed by the world’s largest investment firms and industrial automation vendors, Claroty’s unified platform is deployed by hundreds of organizations at thousands of sites globally.
Galina Antova, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer at Claroty, is one of the world’s leading experts on OT cybersecurity. With unparalleled experience leading growth strategies to address the challenges of protecting against cyberattacks, Galina is one of the top cyber security experts in the field and an amazing person to look to for innovative inspiration.
14. Amir Jerbi
Aqua Security is the largest pure-play cloud native security company, providing customers the freedom to innovate and run their businesses with minimal friction. With a great deal of industry recognition and a $1 billion evaluation after their Series E round, Aqua Security is sure to continue skyrocketing and breaking new ground in cloud native security.
Amir Jerbi’s love for container technology is what led him to co-found Aqua Security, where he helps customers achieve the full potential of security for cloud native architectures as CTO. With more patents than you can count on one hand and years of rich experience in the cyber field, Amir is certainly someone to keep an eye on.
15. Boaz Gorodissky
XM Cyber is leading hybrid-cloud security posture management by enabling companies to rapidly respond to cyber risks affecting their business-sensitive systems. The company has received several industry awards recognizing the innovation and effectiveness of its solutions and has raised a total of $49 million since its inception in 2016.
Boaz Gorodissky is CTO and co-founder at XM Cyber, as well as a 30-year veteran of the Israeli Intelligence Community. In his previous role as Head of Technology, he re-organized and headed technology divisions and oversaw thousands of engineers and a large-scale budget. With such an impressive portfolio of experience, he certainly provides important insights into the field of cybersecurity.
There you have it. The cybersecurity industry is full of famous cybersecurity experts who are shaking up the game by leading with innovation and determination.
If you’re looking to stay sharp and up-to-date on all the latest and greatest goings-on in cybersecurity, make sure to check out these top 15 Israeli cybersecurity influencers on social media.
Because in general, social media influencing and cybersecurity do go hand in hand.
And if you’re looking to grow your business, bring in more leads, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, consider partnering with a startup marketing agency like SAGE to help you gain an upper hand in your industry.
