In February 2025, the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) released a major update to its National Cyber Security Strategy, replacing the 2017 version. Authored with input from cyber policy expert contributors, the new strategy represents a shift in conceptual focus: from seeing cyber as a source of national power to positioning cybersecurity as essential to safeguarding national processes and infrastructure. It lays out four guiding principles—joint security, active security, technological innovation, and resilience—and structures its response through three pillars: securing national cyberspace, national coordination, and strategic partnerships.

Key innovations include a more proactive stance on cyber crisis preparedness, a stronger role for the private sector, and lessons learned from the Iron Swords War. Compared to the U.S. strategy of 2023, Israel emphasizes collaboration over regulation, reflecting its limited global influence and smaller scale. The strategy also introduces new objectives like combatting foreign digital influence and developing secure national digital identification.

Despite its comprehensiveness, the strategy’s success hinges on its implementation, especially the INCD’s ability to act as a central, capable body without heavy reliance on regulation. Recommendations include clarifying objectives, addressing emerging threats like quantum computing, and initiating national-level discussions on offensive cyber policy.

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