When people refer to wars in the Middle East, we have now entered an era which demands that they specify between military or cyber attacks. Thus Israel’ s first international cyber conference held this week in Tel Aviv was a timely affair. The local industry alone now adds up to over 200 companies, and counting.

Israel’s role in the geopolitical game – hostile neighbours, the Iranian threat,  consistent hacking attacks – means that it was always going to an initial leader in this market.  Here are three examples of that head start.

1) According to Eviatar Matania, head of Israel’s national cyber bureau, Israel accounts for between 5 and 10% of the global sales market., which in itself is estimated to be pushing US$100 billion annually. For example, Check Point Software has just released its latest positive figures with sales topping US$1.3 billion in 2013.

2) There is now a near flood of international counter cyber giants already operating in Israel or about to set up centres in the Holy Land. Kaspersky is no stranger to the country. Deloittes Touche “is looking to partner, acquire or license technologies developed by Israeli startups..”  IBM’s SVP, Steven Mills, has declared that his company intends to establish a new center in collaboration with Ben Gurion University in Beersheba. And that is in addition to a similar announcement from Lockheed Martin and EMC.

3) A most telling sign of changing times has come from IMI, which for decades has been one of Israel’s prime bastions of manufacturing of weapons’ systems. This government-owned giant, which suffers from severe budget problems, is directing new investments towards creating a whole new division to combat cyber attacks.

It is difficult to claim that ‘you are ready’, when the threats, civilian and military, mutate almost daily. That said, Israel appears to have a lot to offer a waiting world.