TRENTON, NJ – South Jersey Transportation Authority (Hammonton, NJ) and Pentera Security (Petah Tikva, Israel) will collaborate to develop and implement an airport cyber protection solution. Their proposal has been awarded $550,000 from the BIRD Foundation, a U.S.-Israel bilateral program that funds joint projects between U.S. and Israeli entities.
“We could not be more excited about the partnership between SJTA and Pentera,” said Lt. Governor Tahesha Way, who oversees the NJ Israel Commission as Secretary of State. “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the NJ Israel Commission and the BIRD Foundation for supporting this project, which will highlight the camaraderie, ingenuity, and commitment to progress shared between New Jersey and Israel.”
“Connecting Israel’s Pentera with South Jersey Transportation Authority is exactly the kind of collaboration that we love to see,” said Karin Elkis, NJ Israel Commission Co-Chair. “We are drawing on Startup Nation’s expertise in cybersecurity while simultaneously engaging with an important local infrastructure partner to impact the national landscape through innovation.”
“SJTA and Pentera coming together to move air travel security forward is just the beginning,” said Mark Levenson, Co-Chair of the NJ Israel Commission. “With the help of our partners at the BIRD Foundation and our supporters in the State and throughout the community, this project provides a blueprint for additional opportunities.”
“The SJTA is thrilled to announce this recent partnership with Pentera,” said Stephen F. Dougherty, SJTA Executive Director. “Together, we are taking significant steps toward safeguarding our critical infrastructure against emerging threats. This collaboration not only strengthens our cybersecurity posture but also highlights the importance of international cooperation in addressing global air travel safety.”
“The BIRD Cyber program advances the U.S.-Israel partnership to build more secure and resilient infrastructure,” said Jaron Lotan, Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation. “We see this project as one which we hope will advance cybersecurity, public safety, and air travel at Atlantic City International Airport followed by other small- and medium-sized U.S. airports.”
The project aims to develop a cyber protection solution specifically focused on small- and medium-sized airports like Atlantic City International Airport. The technology will provide continuous cyber-posture visibility & situational awareness through various sources such as external attack surface management, vulnerability assessment & management (IT & OT), breach & attack simulation (BAS), passive network sensors, endpoint sensors, IoT analytics tools, and threat intelligence.
The BIRD Foundation will award $550,000 to this project which constitutes 50% of its total budget.
About the New Jersey-Israel Commission: Established in 1989 within the New Jersey Department of State, it promotes trade development; cultural and educational exchanges; capital investment; joint business ventures; and fosters cooperation between citizens of New Jersey and Israel. New Jersey-Israel trade accounts for approximately $1.84 billion annually.
