National Cyber Directorate (NCD)

The National Cyber Directorate (INCD) is Israel's central civilian cybersecurity authority, reporting to the Prime Minister's Office. It was formed at the end of 2017 by merging the National Cyber Bureau, established in 2011 to advise the government on cyber policy, with the National Cyber Security Authority, a separate operational body created in 2016, and has been led since March 2025 by Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Karadi.

How Did the INCD Form From Two Earlier Bodies?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed physicist Eviatar Matania to establish and head the National Cyber Bureau in January 2012, tasking it with coordinating cyber policy across government and defense agencies. A separate operational arm, the National Cyber Security Authority, began work in early 2016 under director general Buky Carmeli, a 20-year veteran of Unit 8200, to handle civilian incident response and critical infrastructure guidance. At the end of 2017, the government merged the two bodies into the single National Cyber Directorate, with Matania serving as its first director general until his departure in January 2018.

Who Has Led the INCD Since Matania?

Yigal Unna, a 22-year veteran of the Israel Security Agency previously known publicly only as "Y," became director general in January 2018. Gaby Portnoy succeeded him in early 2022. In March 2025, Israel's cabinet approved Prime Minister Netanyahu's recommendation to appoint Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Karadi, who had led the IDF's C4I Corps as chief signals officer from 2021 to 2024, as the new director general.

What Standards and Regulatory Powers Does the INCD Hold?

The INCD published its Israeli Cyber Defense Methodology 1.0 in 2017, adapting the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology's Cybersecurity Framework for the Israeli market to create a common defense language across industry, academia and government, according to NIST's own case study of the project. The directorate sets mandatory security standards for critical infrastructure sectors including power, water, banking, telecom and healthcare; non-compliance can trigger regulatory penalties and operational restrictions.

How Is the INCD Responding to AI-Era Threats?

Karadi has publicly warned Israeli CEOs and board members to prepare for a new generation of artificial intelligence models capable of identifying security vulnerabilities, writing that "the threat we face in cyberspace is undergoing a dramatic transformation" as AI tools lower the skill barrier for attackers.

How Does the INCD Shape Israel's Cybersecurity Industry?

The INCD's threat assessments, procurement priorities and vulnerability-disclosure programs influence product design across Israeli cybersecurity vendors, from established players like Check Point and CyberArk to newer entrants, and its regulatory and threat-intelligence functions give Israeli vendors a credibility advantage when selling into export markets. The directorate also coordinates cyber cooperation agreements with the United States, the European Union and NATO, and manages cross-border incident response and cybercrime investigation.