Welcome to Cybersecurity Insights, the podcast for the CyberEd.io Learning Community. Our goal is to bring Cybersecurity practitioners the latest and most relevant education and training to upskill and dive deeper into topics that matter in today's modern Cybersecurity world. Good day, everyone. This is Steve King.
I'm the managing director at CyberEd.io. And today we have the pleasure of talking with Tal Collander, who is in the United States this week and this month and perhaps next month while trying to return to Israel. Tal is the CEO of Gitpol and co-founder and has a fantastic and storied history. It's a self-taught hacker, F-16 pilot qualifier in the IDF and Cybersecurity Wiz with the IDF before she finished her national service and moved on to Dell computer where she practiced more of the same and then started Gitpol a couple of years ago, which is a very successful vulnerability detection and identification company that focuses on configuration errors, which is where many of our container and cloud vulnerabilities arise from and is completely self-funded and has created this fantastic success story over there.
Welcome Tal. Hey, Steve. Hey, Tal. How are you?
I'm good. How are you? I'm good. Thanks.
Let's talk about how you got stuck here, which is interesting. You were here when this happened and now your situation and what you're doing as we just discussed a little bit in the meantime to leverage what time you have here and we don't know what the future is going to be like. Yeah, when I got the cancellation from United and then I realized that there were actually no airline that is flying to Israel. I mean, everyone just shut their, I would say, yeah, they're like the flights to Israel and from Israel.
So it was very, very sad. I mean, we are, again, it's like another kind of Ukraine. I mean, if you think about it, but it's not the first time that it happened to us. I mean, yeah, all the whole story of the Holocaust and everything and I don't know if people are aware of what happened.
They just 1,000 Hamas, Sunjir, troops, whatever they will. And they just got into Israel and it was a complete surprise for us. Don't get me wrong. I mean, I don't think that we are, anyone else that we didn't know that it is coming.
It's another Yom Kippur thing and they did it, of course, in the perfect timing, 50 years after the Yom Kippur war. And they just got into Israel and they burned people alive, meaning they just killed babies, women, pregnant women, of course, old people and they just after the war, I mean, they killed them. They just, you know, just slotted them and they just killed, I mean, they just took their body parts. And it was, I mean, the amount of hate that they have towards us is, I mean, it's not that they fight against our soldiers No, they fight against, I mean, innocent people.
I mean, and again, with the peace party or the festival that was over there, that they slotted almost like 260 people over there. They didn't care as long as we are Israelis and Jewish and that's what they wanted to achieve. And they are so proud of it. They just, you know, they feel everything, which is, oh my God, I mean, and again, even if you don't just shut up, be modest, I mean, whatever, go back to Gaza.
And then I wish that he would be dead soon. And what he did was absolutely none. I mean, there was no humanity in that. And that's why the world needs, I mean, needs to see each and every one of them.
The pictures and the videos that I saw and I wanted to see because it's my people and I wanted to feel the pain even more. I mean, we never, never had something like that. I mean, in all of our wars and decades since Israel exists, which is 1948. And yeah, so of course, it just, it takes me back to the World War II, obviously, to what happened there.
And yeah, but then these different people, same style, same hate. It was very, very hard, very harsh. Yeah, and there's no reason for it, right? I've never found anybody that could explain that to me, but my mother was Jewish.
You know, it's just I have no answers, you know, I don't know. And it must be bewildering at the very least to grow up and live in an environment where you're surrounded by people that want to kill you every day all day. And then all of a sudden, boom, here, we're in it. What do you think is that, you know, from a soldier point of view or a combat point of view, what do you think is the next move here and what do you think that's going to look like?
Well, I know there's 400,000 people already called, well called to reserve. And I know that we are planning to get into Gaza, but we are making sure that they are not setting us up, you know, they are not down. Well, that we are ready enough to get into Gaza because the last time we got into Gaza, we lost lots of soldiers. And I also think that there is some kind of, I don't know if it is an operational mini wall in the North because there is another door that just opened out that is pretty much people.
And this is the Hezbollah now, and they are way smarter than the Hamas and the Jihad, so they just attack us. And if they will start the war, I think we are in a big, big, big problem right now. Because let's say if it is Gaza, then we are trying to do anything we can in order to rescue, of course, the people that were kidnapped by them. But also to make sure that there is no more Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
But they're like, the North and God is in Hezbollah. It's Iran. We also started something, small thing with Syria. I don't think it is anything right now.
We are very, very strong about that. If you think about it, these are very big countries. And even though we have Europe with us and the US, we absolutely don't want to start World War III right now, I think. I think we have had enough, you know, in Israel, there are so many things tied up to this.
So it's getting worse each day. I mean, it's not getting any better. I mean, I don't know if someone thought otherwise we are in a very bad situation right now. Yeah, you think, so Hezbollah in your mind is a more capable opponent than Hamas.
And because they're closer. No, they know us better than them. I mean, Hamas, I mean, they got some intel from Iran probably. That is how they did that.
That is how they managed their attack. I mean, we know that they are not that smart. And so they go to everything from them or most of the things from them from Iran. And of course, Iran is Hezbollah.
They're never known in other places. But they are very smart. I mean, they know so many things about us. Because the people in Iran, they walk different.
And I don't know if it's fair to say they are smart. And in Israel, if they are attacking us, we need to be afraid. And I think that we are. Oh, just to refresh our listeners a little bit about your background.
Can you remind us of your time and the IDF and kind of that story? You were a teenage backer, self-taught and all of that. And then when you did your service, you were primarily interested in flying F-16s, as I recall. And qualified for that.
And then you ended up in the cyber labs or whatever that group had. The cyber units, I would say maybe it was computer units back then. So it was together. And then cyber came when I just finished my military service.
But yeah, after my teenage time when I thought that playing in some computer just to get some to win some games and to become the same version of Robinhood. And I knew how to add many, many things. And it was really, really nice. And then I just, in the army, after the time, the fighting pilot course, then the intelligence forces and the computer units, it was called mamamamamamamamamamam.
I moved to other units. They took my blackhead stacking skills. And they made it like a white attacker's skills. And I always say that when people watch the TV series or movies, that the most sad is involved.
I mean, I always say it's either things that, you know, take sample of that and some of it is real. Okay, so it's not the power between it happened or let's say relied on to a story, something like that. And then the future thing that we always see, you know, is there robots and everything. It's something that pretty much predicts our future.
And we will be there. But we are working very, very hard. And yeah, the things that we managed to do and the thing that I was part of, pretty much significant and I'm very proud to be and to sell for my country. Currently, most of the people that are called not from the intelligence process, but actually they are from the fighters.
They need people to stand on the line on the borders and to be prepared for them for the next call when the time is right, just to be there. And yeah, believe me, that no one really wants to have any fight or any role. But we all know in Israel, we are so together in it. And we are so, it's like every year we have something, right?
I mean, kind of a small operation, big operation. And the people in Israel are so together. And in terms of we love serving our country. We love helping each other.
I mean, this is our culture. And when we do it, then it feels good. I mean, and we volunteer sometimes to go and usually when you reserve it's until the age of 40 to 45. But this time, even people that are above 60 were called.
So everyone just don't know. I mean, not only that they were called. Some of them were also volunteered. I mean, they were considered even high rank.
And I don't know, not even high rank officers or people. They just stopped everything, just to help Israel. Just to help their people, the sisters, the borders, because it is so important. Even people in some way, we all know someone that lost someone, okay?
I mean, because we are such a small country. So everyone knows, everyone in, you know, maybe one hop away. So yeah, it is something that we see all the time how close we are to each other and how we really want. And if you will ask our soldiers, they don't care to sacrifice their life to save their friends, you know, to save their friends.
I mean, you see that is who we are. And it means so much about us. You know, the Israel is about who we are as a community, as a country. And we are very young in our spirit and also in the countries.
Israel is very young. And we just want people to, you know, to leave us alone or to vote. We know the fact that we are surrounded surrounded by our enemies or by people that don't really like us. Yeah, the country is young, but the heritage is several thousand years old.
And you've been hung under siege the entire time, you know, in the entire history, which is a zardomy, of course. And there's no way for, I mean, I can imagine what that might be like, but I don't live in that environment on a day-to-day basis. I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to, as I say, you know, live a few faces from people that are trying to destroy me. And I don't think the, you know, the sense I get is that people are treating this war as if it were a, you know, just another like conflict or something.
And that, you know, you guys will kill a bunch of Hamas and you may suffer some more casualties. And then somebody will call a truce and then off we go. I don't think that's the case this time, so do you? You know, I want to say something a bit before about the Jewish people and the communities that are not in Israel.
And also to talk about some other people and some other things, the support that we get from people. And by the time that I started GITPAL a few years ago, I think that I know today, like hundreds of people, different people. I mean, but from the same, you know, from the same industry, which is the cybersecurity IT and the feedback and the support and the messages, the emails, everything that they get from them, it's so, it won't my heart. And I want to say not only for me, but again, from the other colleagues that I work with.
And to see them, the great support and the great amount of love that they tend to us, that they only want is like to help us in any given way. And if we are in the state, you know, come over, stay with me. It's okay. I mean, like, this is something that I am telling you.
I never, never, never expected this thing to happen. Because okay, you know, people are friends and, but to see the, you know, like people, you know, they have their own life. And to see the, well, the amount of love and the, the, the, the huge welcoming, it's, I mean, it's amazing. So I really want to even to say here, thank you for everyone and including you, that open, open the door for me and for us, for the Israeli people that are here, and that you really want to help.
And in any given way that you can, because it is not taking for granted. So I really, I really want to say again, thank you for that. Absolutely. And then put me on your list.
If you ever need a place to stay, you know, my house is your house anytime. Thank you so much. Tell us a little bit about Gitfold now. And since the last time we talked, I think several months ago, how's it going?
Well, I want to say it's faster than I expected. But yeah, I mean, we always want more customers. We are surprised by the fact that first we are going in the company. So when you first told me, we were like, what, seven people right now, we are 25.
And remember, we are growing and again, we are self-funded bootstraps. We never took a dime on purpose from any VC, but I mean, any, we never raised from anyone. So we are going in terms of the product. We are going in terms of the customers.
We are going in terms of the team. We are going in terms of, you know, the value that we bring to customers. And we hear it all the time. That is so important, you know, to get the feedback to see exactly what customers need and how to translate it in the product and how to make it happen, how to make it deliverable.
And how to make sure that they are not only buying, but they don't want they renew. And they get for more items, more devices, more things that we do. They see the value. Not only that, I was in a conference a couple of weeks ago, and I saw some prospects over there.
And they remembered me, demoing them, other colleagues of mine. And they just spread out the word about how cool Gitfold is. And I need to revisit, I need to probably take another look at probably a bit of your sleep. How to spread the word?
How to add to other people to other potential customers? Or if you were about Gitfold? Oh, no. So this is what you did.
And then, whoa, I was like overwhelmed. I mean, to see how customers or even not even customers spread the word. I mean, more than that. I mean, what can you say?
It's great. That's kind of marketing. Yeah. I mean, they see the best marketing.
I mean, when of course, like, current customers, when they say things, who thinks about the product and they just, they see people and they meet with people all the time. And hey, if you read about Gitfold, because Gitfold is not only good product, it's also, we have absolutely good DNA. I mean, the team, I mean, the fact that I can go today in the States and, you know, like, I'm single Gitfold. Okay.
It's because I have such a, the best team in the world that is supporting me. Most of them are in Israel, but it's like they are there wherever I need. And I am, I'm also there and here. I mean, whatever they need.
And to be, to think, to think alike and to be there for each other. And again, not only the Israel culture, but again, also in Gitfold. That's what we, that's what we do, because we think we want everyone to think that we are their family. We are here wherever they need and whenever they need.
And we know exactly that they can definitely. I mean, if till, I don't know, like 18 months ago, like, I mean, it was very for me. It was a bit tricky to fly and to be like in some place like for 10 days. Look, I'm here like three weeks now.
And I know the things are running. I mean, even without me. And I'm so proud right now that it is going like that. And, and yeah, I, I'm definitely now I'm free up to do other things that I couldn't do before.
Oh, I was very limited doing them the way I do it today. Yeah, but you're still on customer calls. I'd say that while you're here. That's correct.
But the customer that I am handling with today is big, big, big, big customers. And even after the first call, the initial call or, you know, one to call something like that, then I just transfer to my engineers and the other people to take care of, because sometimes all we need to do is just to open the door, just to open the door, just to have the first call with whatever the community is. So, yeah, so sometimes I need to be in the front. Most of the times it's my people.
That's insane. So you're in Florida right now, and then you're headed to where you got a bus. So, yeah, it's going to be Portland and St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, Charlotte, London, if Israel will be open, then I will go back to Israel next month.
That's, you think November? Yeah, but we are not sure yet. Again, every day there is another surprise. Yeah, no kidding.
And then, you know, by the way, that, you know, some folks look at this and say, well, why don't you just destroy everything that's moving in Gaza? Right now, I was just like, sure, you know, decimate the whole crowd there and take it over. Exactly. And we see, I mean, we're a company.
You have the air power to do that, right? Yes. But, you know, because we are being watched from, again, from so many people in our countries, and we need to, we need to not to do anything stupid according to them. I mean, we cannot, I mean, like even the hospital, the hospital, I don't know if you saw the rocket, the hospital, it was their rocket.
Everyone knows that now, but again, we will never do it. I mean, we will never, I mean, we never killed innocent people. And of course, we never bombed like something so stupid like that. I mean, like it was, I don't know that we know.
If you're killing yourself, they get people out of there and Hamas won't let them leave. What do you end up, Demi? You've got to do something, right? I mean, there has to be.
Unfortunately, and they take an advantage on that, unfortunately, because they are hiding in hospitals, they are hiding in schools, they are hiding in schools, they are hiding in schools, they are, you know, the students, they are the people, no, no, I mean, everything, I mean, please go to school every day and the hospitals do not go to the shelters, they wear you out because they know that we won't do anything to them. Right. They just know. And that is why unfortunately, that is why we have the troops, we must get in.
We must get into the hospitals, into the schools, into wherever, because we need to attack them and we cannot kill innocent people, of course, not children, and that's not who we are. Yeah, it makes the rules of engagement very, very difficult. Right. And you lose a lot of your own troops doing it that way.
And, you know, God bless you for having that kind of civility. You know, it will be, so I'm, you know, we watch this, of course, every day and we have friends and all of that. I obviously wish you all the best. Thank you so much.
So, thank you. Thanks for jumping on the show here this morning, very short notice. Thank you for having me. And as always, you know, it's great talking with you.
I'm serious about that. I mean, if you, if you're in, if you wanted to spend part of your winter in a warm environment, I'm down here in the desert in Arizona. So, yeah, I have to, you know, if it frees up in the northeast, if you don't like it. That's fantastic.
You can post it. All right. So, thank you so much. Thank you so much.
Yep, for joining us. And I appreciate your insights into what's going on over there and all of us. Thank you for having me. Yeah.
And we'll do it again soon. I mean, we're still doing this a month from now. I'd love to have you back and let's talk some more. Perfect.
All right. Thanks to our audience for spending another half hour with us. And hopefully you were as entertained and informed as I was about real events at Ground Zero in the, whatever you want to call it, the Israeli Guamas War from an observer with a very relevant military background who is fighting the cyber security wars that we're all part of. So, thanks once again.
And until next time, this is Steve King, your host, signing off. Thank you for joining us for another episode of Cybersecurity Insights. You can connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook or send us an email at social at cybered.io. For more information about the podcast, visit cybered.io forward slash podcast.
Until next week, stay safe and secure, and we'll see you on the next episode of Cybersecurity Insights.