LightCyber
Israeli network-attack detection company founded by two Unit 8200 veterans; bought by Palo Alto Networks in 2017
| LightCyber
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Acquired (subsidiary of Palo Alto Networks) |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder(s) | Giora Engel, Michael Mumcuoglu |
| Industry | Cyber security (network attack detection) |
| Parent | Palo Alto Networks (from 2017) |
| Number of employees | About 100 (2017) |
LightCyber was an Israeli cyber-security company that developed systems for detecting attackers inside corporate networks. It was founded in 2011 by Giora Engel and Michael Mumcuoglu, and for the three years before its sale was run by chief executive Gonen Fink, one of the first employees of Check Point. In 2017 it was bought by Palo Alto Networks, the company founded by Nir Zuk.[1]
Founders and Unit 8200
Globes described Giora Engel and Michael Mumcuoglu as childhood friends and "veterans of 8200" ("יוצאי 8200"). It reported that the two "served, how else, in 8200 and gained a great deal of experience in state-level offensive cyber" ("שירתו, איך לא, ב-8200 וצברו הרבה ניסיון בסייבר התקפי ברמת המדינה"), and after their military service set up an earlier start-up, MeterLive, before founding LightCyber. At the time of the sale Engel lived in California and Mumcuoglu ran the Israeli development centre, which employed about half of the company's 100 staff.[1]
Sale to Palo Alto Networks
According to Globes, Palo Alto Networks paid $105 million in cash and about $25 million in shares, a total of about $130 million. LightCyber had raised $32 million, and each founder was expected to receive about NIS 27 million.[1] Ctech later gave the price as $105 million.[2]
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Tali Tzipori, מייסדי LightCyber שנמכרה לפאלו אלטו יקבלו 27 מיליון שקל כ"א (LightCyber founders to receive NIS 27m each), Globes (Hebrew), 1 March 2017, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Meir Orbach, Palo Alto Networks to Acquire Cybersecurity Startup Secdo, Ctech, 10 April 2018, accessed 21 October 2026.