The Israeli military has called up hundreds of thousands of reservists, including many who are employed by startups at home and abroad, as the nation responds to a sudden attack by Palestinian militants over the weekend. More than 900 Israelis have been confirmed dead, according to Israeli authorities. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, 687 Palestinians have been killed as Israel strikes back.

Business has been interrupted and meetings canceled as organizations deal with the personal impact of the war.

Companies and investors with operations in Israel are assessing how to proceed as staff members, including executives, have been drafted or voluntarily enlist. Firms are checking on their staff’s safety, and attempting to provide support for those who are affected. Entrepreneurs are also coordinating volunteer efforts to support the war and those affected by it, as well as setting up contingencies for how their businesses will operate should they join the fight.

Some Israeli founders who are running startups in the U.S. are also heeding mobilization orders, or are preparing to be called up.”

Additional Resources:

On AI Enabled Weapons and the Just Preparation for War:  BABL AI – an Iowa city, Iowa-based company that audits and certifies AI systems – partnered with the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the U.S. Naval Academy to co-publish Report on “AI Enabled Weapons and Just Preparation for War.”  An overview of the report including recommendations by the authors can be found here. 

Global Day of Jihad? Hamas Declares Friday, October 13th ‘Day Of General Mobilization’:  In what is being called a “Global Day of Jihad”, a former Hamas leader has called for all Muslims worldwide “to take to the streets and the city squares in Arab and Islamic cities, as well as in cities everywhere where there are [Islamic] communities. There is a call [for demonstrations] this Friday (October 13, 2023) – the Al-Aqsa Deluge Friday.”  A link to the video of the statement and details from various news outlets can be found at his link. 

The Network Swarm Attack on Israel and the Escalating Global Networked War:  Intelligence Failure? Black Swan? Gray Rhino? Systemic Failure? An entropic, sclerotic Israeli political system?  The geopolitical and regional power context for the recent surprise, large scale and violent Hamas attack of Israel may prove to be “all of the above”. What is clear is the attack was designed as a large scale, kinetic and digital “network swarm” – which now opens up a new, “formal” kinetic front in the ongoing, global networked war in the Middle East.  Swarm dynamics are a crucial mental model – which we apply here to the Hamas network swarm attack of Israel. 

How Does Hamas Use Cryptocurrency for Fundraising and Financial Activities?: In our recent post on crypto fraud relative to fraud in the traditional fiat monetary systems, we encouraged our readers to think very critically about the perceptions of and narratives about the instrinsic value of cryptocurrency and the blockchain technologies on which they are based. In the shadow of the Hamas attack on Israel, TRM Labs has released a report on how Hamas uses crypto – which also moves the narrative away from the FTX collapse and the Sam Bankman-Fried trial as the central organizing principle in the perception of the future cryptocurrency.  

Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Russia’s aggression against Ukraine prompts global repercussions on supply chains and cybersecurity. This act highlights potential threats from nations like China and could shift defense postures, especially in countries like Japan. See: Russia Threat Brief

Networked Extremism: The digital era enables extremists worldwide to collaborate, share strategies, and self-radicalize. Meanwhile, advanced technologies empower criminals, making corruption and crime interwoven challenges for global societies. See: Converging Insurgency, Crime and Corruption

Food Security and Inflation: Food security is emerging as a major geopolitical concern, with droughts and geopolitical tensions exacerbating the issue. Inflation, directly linked to food security, is spurring political unrest in several countries. See: Food Security

Geopolitical-Cyber Risk Nexus: The interconnectivity brought by the Internet has made regional issues affect global cyberspace. Now, every significant event has cyber implications, making it imperative for leaders to recognize and act upon the symbiosis between geopolitical and cyber risks. See The Cyber Threat

Proactive Mitigation of Cyber Threats: The relentless nature of cyber adversaries, whether they are criminals or nation-states, necessitates proactive measures. It’s crucial to remember that cybersecurity isn’t solely the responsibility of the IT department or the CISO – it’s a collective effort that involves the entire leadership. Relying solely on governmental actions isn’t advised given its inconsistent approach towards aiding industries in risk reduction. See: Cyber Defenses

The Necessity of Continuous Vigilance in Cybersecurity: The consistent warnings from the FBI and CISA concerning cybersecurity signal potential large-scale threats. Cybersecurity demands 24/7 attention, even on holidays. Ensuring team endurance and preventing burnout by allocating rest periods are imperative. See: Continuous Vigilance