The Israeli Defense Ministry has reduced the number of countries allowed to export Israeli cybersecurity systems from 102 to 37, reveals Calcalistech (CTech).
The new list mainly includes Western European countries, the United States and Canada, and no longer includes countries like Morocco, Mexico, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, suspected of having acquired offensive cyber tools from the Israeli company NSO.
Israel’s cybersecurity industry currently generates 10 billion dollars in annual revenue, of which 10% in “ offensive ” sectors such as NSO, underlines CTech. Some 13% of all cybersecurity companies would operate from Israel, and 29% of all investments in the sector would be directed to Israeli companies.
The move follows the US Department of Commerce’s addition of NSO Group and its competitor Candiru to its blacklist, HackerNews points out.
“ By marketing to , these companies signal that they are willing to accept or ignore the risk that their products may strengthen the capacity of authoritarian and / or adversarial governments, who can use their products to target vulnerable populations within of their country or more effectively conduct espionage abroad , ”the Atlantic Council said in a report released earlier this month detailing the proliferation of the cyber surveillance industry .
The updated list includes Austria, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Belgium, United Kingdom, ” Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Greece, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Malta, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Czech Republic , France, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, United States and Canada.
