Cybersecurity (2026)

1. Gil Shwed
2. Nadav Zafrir
3. Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk
4. Yossi Karadi
5. Yigal Unna
6. Nadav Padan
7. Dorit Dor
8. Merav Bahat
9. Amir Rapaport
10. Dean Sysman

The top 10 most influential individual voices on Cybersecurity in Israel, ranked from most to least influential based on their global industry impact, pioneer status, policy leadership, and commercial reach:

1. Gil Shwed 50 Influential Jews: Cybertech Leaders - No. 49 | The Jerusalem Post

• Role/Background: Founder and long-time CEO (now Executive Chairman) of Check Point Software Technologies.

• Impact: Widely considered the "father of modern firewalls," he pioneered commercial cyber defense tech and co-founded Israel’s foundational cybersecurity giant.

2. Nadav Zafrir

• Role/Background: Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Team8; former Commander of IDF Unit 8200.

• Impact: A central figure in bridging state military intelligence talent with global venture capital, shaping dozens of prominent cybersecurity startups.

3. Assaf Rappaport

• Role/Background: Co-Founder and CEO of Wiz; former CEO of Adallom.

• Impact: A dominant commercial force in modern cloud security, leading Wiz to become one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity unicorns in tech history.

4. Udi Mokady

• Role/Background: Co-Founder and Executive Chair (former CEO) of CyberArk.

• Impact: Pioneer in Identity Security and Privileged Access Management (PAM), establishing a global standard used by global enterprises.

5. Isaac Ben-Israel Company | cyber-security-group

• Role/Background: Major General (Ret.), Head of the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center at Tel Aviv University.

• Impact: Key architect of Israel’s national cyber policy; authored the vision that led to the creation of the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD).

6. Keren Elazari

• Role/Background: Cybersecurity analyst, researcher, author, and keynote speaker.

• Impact: Globally recognized public voice on hacker culture, bug bounties, and offensive security research; famous for bringing friendly-hacker perspectives to mainstream global media (including TED).

7. Shlomo Kramer

• Role/Background: Co-Founder of Check Point, Imperva, and Cato Networks.

• Impact: A prolific investor and entrepreneur known as the "godfather of Israeli cybersecurity," continuously driving innovation across network, web, and SASE security.

8. Evgeny Dibrov

• Role/Background: Co-Founder and CEO of Armis.

• Impact: Thought leader and entrepreneur focusing on unmanaged device security, IoT risks, and enterprise enterprise visibility across physical and digital operational infrastructure.

9. Dean Sysman

• Role/Background: Co-Founder and CEO of Axonius.

• Impact: Leading voice on Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM), revolutionizing how global organizations track and secure asset inventories.

10. Yigal Unna Previous Speakers of Cybertech Global TLV 2025

• Role/Background: Former Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD).

• Impact: A critical figure in national-level operational cyber defense, nation-state defense strategies, and international cyber diplomacy alliances.

Based on industry standing, leadership in foundational cybersecurity enterprises, and impact on the global and Israeli cyber landscape, the following 10 real individual people are recognized as prominent figures in Israeli cybersecurity:

1. Assaf Rappaport
2. Gil Shwed
3. Lior Div
4. Dean Sysman
5. Merav Bahat
6. Adi Sharabani
7. Ami Luttwak
8. Tomer Weingarten
9. Shlomo Kramer
10. Amir Ofek Assaf Rappaport - WikipediaGil Shwed - WikipediaTop 15 Cybersecurity Industry Israel's Influencers To Follow50 Influential Jews: Cybertech Leaders - No. 49 | The Jerusalem Post

1. Gil Shwed
2. Nadav Padan
3. Yossi Vardi
4. Checkpoint CEO Gil Shwed
5. Ami Luttwak
6. Shlomo Kramer
7. Nir Zuk
8. Rami Efrati
9. Amit Bareket
10. Yuval Eldar

Top 10 most influential cybersecurity voices in Israel (ranked):

1. Assaf Rappaport – Co-founder & CEO of Wiz

2. Dean Sysman – Co-founder & CEO of Axonius

3. Nadav Zafrir – CEO of Check Point Software Technologies, ex-Unit 8200 commander

4. Udi Mokady – Co-founder of CyberArk

5. Tomer Weingarten – Co-founder & CEO of SentinelOne

6. Nir Zuk – Founder of Palo Alto Networks, ex-Check Point

7. Shlomo Kramer – Co-founder of Cato Networks, also co-founded Check Point & Imperva

8. Moti Gindi – Security executive, formerly at Microsoft Israel, influential in cloud security strategy

9. Ami Luttwak – Co-founder & CTO of Wiz, ex-Adallom/Microsoft

10. Yinon Costica – Co-founder & VP Product at Wiz, ex-Adallom/MicrosoftTop 15 Cybersecurity Industry Israel's Influencers To Follow | Sage MarketingThe Israeli Cyber 50: 2026 Ranking, Updated - The Olam

Why these individuals matter

• Assaf Rappaport tops the list because Wiz became the largest Israeli cyber exit in history with Google’s $32B acquisition in 2026. His leadership has reshaped global cloud security.

• Dean Sysman built Axonius into a leading cybersecurity asset management platform, widely adopted by enterprises worldwide.

• Nadav Zafrir , as CEO of Check Point, leads Israel’s longest-standing public cybersecurity company and previously founded Team8, a major cyber venture creation platform.

• Udi Mokady pioneered identity security with CyberArk, acquired by Palo Alto Networks for $25B in 2026.

• Tomer Weingarten scaled SentinelOne into one of the largest Israeli-founded public cybersecurity firms.

• Nir Zuk is a legendary figure, having founded Palo Alto Networks and influenced firewall and cloud security innovation.

• Shlomo Kramer is a serial entrepreneur whose companies (Check Point, Imperva, Cato Networks) shaped multiple cybersecurity categories.

• Moti Gindi is recognized for his strategic leadership in enterprise and cloud security, bridging Israeli innovation with global platforms.

• Ami Luttwak and Yinon Costica , alongside Rappaport, form the core of Wiz’s founding team, all Unit 8200 alumni, and are central to Israel’s current global cybersecurity influence.

Key Takeaway

Israel’s cybersecurity influence is dominated by entrepreneurs who built billion-dollar companies (Wiz, Check Point, CyberArk, SentinelOne, Palo Alto Networks). Their impact is global, shaping cloud, identity, and endpoint security markets.

Would you like me to also map which specific domains each of these leaders is most influential in (e.g., cloud security, identity, endpoint protection)? That way you’ll see not just who they are, but what areas of cybersecurity they dominate.