Israel is one of the top targets of cyber attacks in the world today, with a nearly constant barrage of hundreds of thousands to millions of attacks each day, against civilian, military and governmental computer systems.

Cyber attacks have come to be viewed as one of the primary threats Israel faces today. Israel has responded to the threat by developing highly advanced cyber capabilities that have made it a world leader in the field.

A threat to the civil sector – virtually every computer system in Israel has been targeted, including hospitals, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, banks, TV stations, government offices and electricity, water and telecommunications firms.

This is the remarkable story of how the “startup nation” became one of the world’s top five cyber powers.

It includes the rapid establishment of the new governmental institutions needed to deal with the emerging threat and Israel’s remarkable “cyber ecosystem”, which has made it the second largest center of cyber security R&D in the world.

It is the story of a cyber educational system, from elementary school through university, and of a variety of programs developed to train the highly skilled technological manpower needed.

It is also the story of the fascinating and unique role of the IDF, unparalleled by any other military, in promoting Israel’s civilian cyber prowess and Israel’s cyber security.