An American of Israeli origin, Amit Yoran, has been appointed director of the Department of Homeland Security National Cyber Security Division. Yoran will be responsible for protecting federal computer systems from viruses, terrorists, and hackers.
Yoran, a West Point graduate, was born in the US, the son of Israeli emigrants in the 1960s. Yoran was a top Defense Department computer security expert and a director of CERT Coordination Center. CERT is responsible for monitoring threats to Pentagon computer and communications networks.
Israel's high-tech community knows Yoran from his activities in the private sector information security field. In 1998, he and his brothers Elad Yoran (also a West Point graduate) and Dov Yoran founded Riptech Security Consulting to provide managed security services.
In 2002, they sold Riptech to information security company Symantec (Nasdaq:SYMC), described as "one of the most active serial buyers in the information security sector", for $185 million.
Yoran was Symantic VP managed security services. On a visit to Israel in 2003, he leveraged his experience and know-how to launch Symantec's Israel branch. Symantec (Israel) regional manager Arie Danon told "Globes" last night that Yoran was one of the most talented men he had ever met. Danon said Yoran was a member of the team that caught Ehud Tenenbaum (a.k.a.: ''the Analyzer'').
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on September 17, 2003