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Israeli cybersecurity expert plans his comeback in Boston

Israeli cybersecurity expert plans his comeback in Boston

Boston Globe05-02-2025
Div, 47, said his new firm's mission is to protect corporate computer networks from hackers relying heavily on the latest artificial intelligence technology. After all, crooks and U.S. adversaries are already harnessing the tech to empower their hacking efforts, he said.
'The acceleration from generative AI will move us to a new realm of attack,' Div said, noting that hackers can use the tech to greatly increase the number and sophistication of their attacks. Using a program like ChatGPT, a hacker can write more enticing emails filled with malware and send them to more potential victims than ever before, he said.
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'I call it the move from the low and slow to the fast and furious, because they're going to start pounding us again and again and more and more.'
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The idea at 7AI is to use the same technology to make monitoring and securing corporate networks much more efficient, too. Using gen AI, the company is programming software agents that can do multiple tasks, monitoring and investigating many more potential security threats at one time than a human. The AI system can also be trained on a company's typical patterns to help uncover new threats.
7AI already employs about 35 people and raised $36 million last year, helping pay for the new office. 'We believe that in Boston there is unbelievable talent,' said Div, who first trained in cybersecurity as part of the Israeli army's famed unit 8200. New hiring is planned 'very quickly,' Div said.
'Boston is deserving an anchor company to take this talent and push us forward,' he said. 'We're going to do it with the Silicon Valley kind of swag, because we've been there, done that, we know what's needed to be built. We're just going to do it here in Boston.'
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Aaron Pressman can be reached at
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