Computer monitoring cyber attacks. Photo: wiki commons.

Exports by Israeli companies in the cyber field were estimated to be three times greater than the United Kingdom’s totaling approximately $3 billion in 2013, the head of the Israel National Cyber Bureau (INCB) said Sunday.

Dr. Eviatar Matania told ministers at a Cabinet meeting that the Israeli exports constitute about 5 percent of the $60 billion global market.

Israeli companies also raised $165 million last year, which constitutes up to 11 percent of total funds raised worldwide in the cyber field. He added that 14.5 percent of companies that raise funds in the field are Israeli.

Israel hosts 20 cyber research and development centers of multi-national companies, Matania said. Approximately 200 start-ups are active in the field and 100 of them are new companies.

In light of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent directive to further advance the export of cyber technologies, Matania said work would soon be completed regarding the removal of any holdups to cyber technology exports.

He also gave updates about the development of a national cyber park in Israel’s southern town of Be’er Sheva, which will be called CyberSpark. The first area of its kind in the world, it will be home to leading companies in the field, security agencies, academic research centers, special educational frameworks with a focus on the cyber field and relevant national government agencies.

At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “We established the INCB in order to assist turning Israel into a major cyber power. When I say a major cyber power I mean cyber defense, and indeed this capability is being built, inter alia, by the work being coordinated by the INCB. We want to facilitate better defense for all strata of the country, which are becoming increasingly digitized. I see the INCB as spurring strong economic development, especially since there is considerable global interest in our abilities, and this can serve not only the defense component, but that of economic growth as well.”