Meet Israel’s new cyber chief

PM Naftali Bennett appointed Brig.-Gen (ret.) Gaby Portnoy as Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate

Gaby Portnoy. Photo credit: EnVizon Medical, taken from Israel National Cyber Directorate’s twitter account.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has decided to appoint Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Gaby Portnoy as Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD). Portnoy is to replace the Directorate’s current head, Yigal Unna, who stepped down last month. The appointment will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.

52-year-old Portnoy military career spanned 31 years in the IDF, during which he served in a series of senior positions such Head of Operations in the Intelligence Corps, commander of Unit 9900, and Head of Planning TKINA and Budgets in the Intelligence Corps.

Portnoy currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of the high-tech firm EnVizon Medical. He holds a B.Tech in Industrial Engineering and Design from Shenkar College and an MBA from Ono Academic College, and currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of the high-tech firm EnVizon Medical.

The Israel National Cyber Directorate is the main body charged with defending Israel's cyberspace and advancing the building up of its cyber strength. The directorate works to strengthen the level of protection of organizations and citizens in dealing with cyber attacks and in preparing for emergencies.