Israel revises supervision of cyber technology exports

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday approved the recommendations of a committee headed by Dr. Eviatar Matania, head of the National Cyber Bureau, calling for the easing of restrictions on approval of cyber technology exports by Israeli companies. Among the revisions are that the Defense Ministry's export supervision branch will only supervise cyber exports to foreign armies and other security forces, while the Economy Ministry will supervise such exports to civilian bodies. Some Israeli high-tech companies have complained that supervision by defense sector bodies is limiting their expansion and have threatened to move their operations overseas, sparking concerns over the security of technology developed in the defense sector.