Iran “not paying price” for “incessant attempts to undermine cyberspace,” says Israeli cyber chief
Gaby Portnoy met with Albanian Prime Minister who arrived in Israel to discuss cyber cooperation against the mutual enemy
“The position Albania took in condemning and imposing sanctions on Iran conveys the message that aggressive actions have a price. This position must be maintained,” said Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), Gaby Portnoy, during a meeting he held on Monday with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, as part of the latter's visit to Israel.
The background for the meeting is the Iranian cyberattacks against Albania in recent months, which have led to Tirana severing diplomatic ties with Tehran in September.
The Albanian PM expressed his interest in the Israeli model for dealing with cyberattacks, especially with regard to protecting critical national infrastructure and developing defense capabilities in his country.
DG Portnoy presented the model for defending critical national infrastructure, the active defense approach and developing a national "cyber dome." He detailed opportunities for assistance and invited Albania to engage in close cooperation with Israel.
"Iran is not paying a high-enough price for its incessant attempts to indiscriminately undermine civilian cyberspace,” said Portnoy, adding that “Cooperation between countries provides a protective belt against these attempts and others."
In addition, the DG of the Israel National Cyber Directorate suggested to the Albanian PM to take part in developing a cybersecurity system that Israel is promoting.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Rama concluded his three-day visit to Israel. He also met with Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who proposed cooperating in the field of cyber in order to strengthen both countries’ defensive capabilities against this threat.
“Iran is a shared threat to both Israel and Albania. We saw this during the recent Iranian cyber attacks against Albania. Israel will assist as much as possible in the effort against Iran. We see this as a national interest and an historical obligation," said Lapid.