Nir Zuk
Israeli founder of Palo Alto Networks and Unit 8200 veteran
| Nir Zuk
| |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Occupation | Technology entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder and chief technology officer of Palo Alto Networks (2005–2025); founder of Cylake |
Nir Zuk is an Israeli cybersecurity entrepreneur and Unit 8200 veteran. He founded Palo Alto Networks in 2005 and was its chief technology officer for twenty years, until he retired in August 2025. In 2026 he launched a new security start-up, Cylake.[1][2]
Unit 8200 and Check Point
Ynet reported that Zuk "began his career at Check Point Software in 1994 after serving in Israel's Unit 8200 military intelligence division" and helped develop Check Point's first firewall. In 2000 he founded OneSecure, which he sold to NetScreen for $45 million.[2] Shlomo Kramer, a Check Point co-founder, was an early backer of Palo Alto Networks and sat on its board for six years.[3]
Palo Alto Networks
Zuk launched Palo Alto Networks in 2005 to compete with Check Point.[2] Under chief executive Nikesh Arora, half of Palo Alto's 24 significant acquisitions since 2014 were Israeli companies, including the $25 billion purchase of CyberArk, co-founded by Unit 8200 veteran Udi Mokady, and the $400 million purchase of Koi.[4] In August 2025 the company announced that Zuk would retire, with Lee Klarich succeeding him as CTO.[1]
In 2025 Drop Site News named Zuk and Mokady as Unit 8200 alumni in a report on former Israeli intelligence personnel in big technology companies. It quoted Paul Biggar, head of the activist group Tech for Palestine, as saying: "These acquisitions are a way to take people from Unit 8200 in Israel, and bring them into influential positions in the U.S. tech industry."[5] CyberArk co-founder Alon Cohen told Calcalist: "Nir is smart. He's not a CEO; he's a chief technology officer".[6]
Other ventures
Ynet reported that Zuk co-founded Air Haifa, Israel's fourth airline, and backed the digital bank Ash Bank and the news outlet "Relevant", which closed in 2024 after losses.[2] In March 2026 he unveiled Cylake, co-founded with Wilson Xu and Ehud (Udi) Shamir. The company raised a $45 million seed round led by Greylock to build an AI-based security platform that runs without the public cloud. Its product is expected in early 2027.[7]
See also
- Palo Alto Networks
- Check Point Software Technologies
- Udi Mokady
- Unit 8200
- Cyber and tech firms founded by ex Unit 8200 or occupation forces veterans
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Palo Alto Networks, Palo Alto Networks Announces Retirement of Nir Zuk, Founder and CTO Palo Alto Networks, 18 August 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ynetnews, Palo Alto Networks founder Nir Zuk steps down after more than 20 years Ynetnews, 19 August 2025.
- ↑ Greylock Partners, CATO: The Godfather of Israeli Cybersecurity Does It Again Greylock, 18 April 2024.
- ↑ Ctech, From Cyvera to Koi: How Israel became Palo Alto Networks' strategic core Ctech, 18 February 2026.
- ↑ Murtaza Hussain, Hundreds of Former Israeli Spies Are Working in Big Tech, Database Shows Drop Site News, 13 August 2025.
- ↑ Diana Bahur-Nir, "This is more of a merger than an acquisition," CyberArk founder Alon Cohen explains Ctech, 11 August 2025.
- ↑ Meir Orbach, Palo Alto Networks founder Nir Zuk unveils new cybersecurity startup Cylake with $45 million in Seed funding Ctech, 5 March 2026.