Cylus
Israeli railway cyber-security company founded in 2017 by veterans of IDF intelligence units; its chief executive headed the cyber R&D division of the IDF's "Elite Technological Unit"
| Cylus
| |
|---|---|
| Trade name | Cylus Ltd. |
| Logo |  Cylus logo |
| Type | Private company |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder(s) | Amir Levintal, Miki Shifman |
| Headquarters | 4 Yitzhak Sadeh Street, 19th floor, Tel Aviv 6777506, Israel |
| Industry | Cyber security for railways |
| Services | Threat detection for railway signalling, control and operational networks |
| Homepage | cylus.com |
Cylus (Cylus Ltd.) is an Israeli cyber-security company, based in Tel Aviv, that protects railway signalling and operational networks. It was "founded in 2017 by CEO Amir Levintal and VP R&D Miki Shifman, both veterans of IDF intelligence units", according to Globes (Amir Levintal; Miki Shifman; Israel Defense Forces; Intelligence Corps).[1] SecurityWeek reported that Levintal "was Director of the Cyber R&D Division of the IDF's Elite Technological Unit from 2014 to 2017".[2]
Founders and military service
SecurityWeek wrote in 2021 that "Cylus follows the now standard template for Israeli firms – founded by former Israeli Defense Force (IDF) cyber specialists before expanding into the U.S. market. Current CEO Amir Levintal was Director of the Cyber R&D Division of the IDF's Elite Technological Unit from 2014 to 2017, while CTO Miki Shifman was cyber researcher and R&D leader in the same division."[2] Globes described both founders as "veterans of IDF intelligence units", and reported that the former Israel Railways chief executive Boaz Tzafrir and the entrepreneur Zohar Zisapel also took part in founding the company.[1]
Funding
In June 2019 Globes reported a $12 million round, bringing Cylus's total to $17 million. Its investors then included Vertex Ventures, Magma Venture Partners, Cyient, GlenRock, the Japanese group SBI, Zisapel, and the former Austrian chancellor and former Austrian Federal Railways chief executive Christian Kern.[1] In December 2021 Cylus raised $30 million in a Series B round led by the American firm Ibex Investors, with Vertex Growth Fund, Strides International Business, Magma, Vertex Ventures Israel, Zisapel and Glenrock Israel. SecurityWeek reported that former security chiefs of Amtrak, BNSF Railway and CSX Transportation were joining its advisory board for its expansion in the United States.[2]
The company's website gives its office as 4 Yitzhak Sadeh Street, 19th floor, Tel Aviv.[3]
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Yasmin Yablonko, Israeli rail cybersecurity co Cylus raises $12m Globes, 6 June 2019, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kevin Townsend, Railway Cybersecurity Firm Cylus Raises $30 Million SecurityWeek, 15 December 2021, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ Cylus, Cylus Railway Cybersecurity – Contact Us Cylus, accessed 10 November 2026.