In the latest testament to how Israeli startups are on the bleeding edge of cybersecurity, a startup with Tel Aviv roots launched Thursday offering new security technology for businesses.
Twistlock emerged from stealth mode with technology to secure what s called container-based applications — these are applications that lay on top of a single operating system but can be accessed in remote locations. The purpose of these containers is to allow multiple users to access their own, isolated computing environment but use a single operating system, and allow developers to easily upgrade applications and move them from one server environment to another. They can also save businesses a lot of money.
Twistlock announced it has raised $2.5 million in seed funding from YL Ventures, a San Francisco venture firm that invests in Israeli startups and helps bring their companies to the Bay Area.
Some have compared container technology today to what cloud computing was five years ago. Docker is the most popular container technology; it s a San Francisco-based company now worth about $1 billion.
But making sure each of these so-called containers were secure from cyber threats has been a challenge. Twistlock, the brainchild of two veterans of the Israeli Army intelligence corps, Ben Bernstein and Dima Stopel, says its technology gives companies new visibility into their containers and protects their data by identifying and blocking cyber threats. Previously, containers have been a huge blind spot for businesses, because IT teams can t see all the programs or software that are being run on various containers, nor can they see all the various users accessing those programs. Twistlock is installed on the host machine that is supporting these remote containers.
Whew. Yes, the bleeding edge of cybersecurity. Twistlock is the first company to make technology like this specifically for businesses. It launched in January and has 10 employees.
Photo of Twistlock founders Ben Bernstein, left, and Dima Stopel, courtesy of Twistlock.
