Researchers

Active Researchers:

	Daniel Cohen Daniel Cohen is a Cyber Security and policy expert. He is a Senior Researcher at the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center (ICRC) and Yuval Ne'eman workshop for Science, Technology & Security at Tel Aviv University. He is also the Head of the Policy and Technology Program at the Abba Eban Institute (AEI), and a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), both at Reichman University (IDC Herzliya). Daniel's research fields include: Cyber security, Cyber threat intelligence (CTI), social media Intelligence (SOCMINT), Influence operations, Cyber enabled information operations, and Cyber Terrorism. He previously served as a Research Fellow and Coordinator of the Cyber security and the Military & Strategy programs at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and worked as a consultant in the public and private sector, including as a consultant/Expert on Violent Extremism and Radicalization for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Daniel is a Lecturer at Bar Ilan University Department of Management and Reichman University Schools of Government and communications. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Tel Aviv University and a B.A. in Government and Strategy (cum laude) from IDC Herzliya. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Bar Ilan University Department of Management in the field of enhancing cyber threat detection with machine learning and text mining technologies.
	Omree Wechler Researcher at the Blavatnik ICRC & Yuval Neeman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security, Tel Aviv University Omree is a Cyber Threat Intelligence analyst at a large software company, a researcher at the Blavatnik Inter-Disciplinary Cyber Researcher Center (ICRC), a senior researcher at the Yuval Ne'eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security in Tel Aviv University and a lecturer on various cyber security related topics. His research fields include national cyber strategies, ransomware and counter-ransomware strategies, influence operations and cyber threats on elections, cyber threats on space systems and the role of AI in cyber security. Omree is a graduate of the CISO&DPO (Data Protection Officer) program at Bar Ilan University and holds several internationally recognized certifications, such as the Cloud Security Alliance's CCSK (Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge). He participated in international conferences such as Cyber Week, Cybertech and Space Tech Summit and in an experts’ discussion about cyber threats to national elections in the Israeli parliament. His article on the Civilian Power concept in national cyber security strategies won the 2019 Cybersec Young Leaders award from the Kosciuszko Institute think tank in Krakow, Poland. Omree worked as a research intern at the Institute for National Security Studies in the Arms Control research program and dealt with nuclear arms control and the Iranian nuclear program. He graduated a cross-disciplinary European Studies M.A. program in Düsseldorf, Germany and holds a B.A. in Political Science and Middle Eastern History from Tel Aviv University (with Dean's honors).
	Doron Feldman A cyber policy and strategies researcher at the Yuval Ne'eman Workshop for Science, Technology, and Security. In addition, Doron is a Ph.D. candidate in the outstanding program of the School of Political Science, Government, and International Affairs at Tel Aviv University. His doctoral research under Prof. Azar Gat's supervision focuses on soft-power strategies that small states in a conflict environment develop and implement as part of their defense strategy. It compares Israel's strategies and their origins to those of Taiwan, Singapore, Estonia, and Finland. Doron is also a lecturer and instructor in outstanding programs and courses at Tel Aviv Youth University. Doron holds an M.A. in Security Studies, a B.A. in Political Science and the History of Modern Israel (with honors), and a teacher's certificate in citizenship studies from Tel Aviv University. During his studies, he won several scholarships and research awards, including a graduate research grant from the Center for the Study of the U.S. at Tel Aviv University in partnership with the Fulbright Program, the Goldman Scholarship for Better Government, the Inbar Fund Scholarship for excellent master's thesis in terrorism studies, the Gad Ja'acobi Research Scholarship on Zionism, and the State of Israel, and more.
	Ofir Barel Ofir is a researcher at the Yuval Ne'eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security. His research focuses on information warfare in the Internet. He lectures on this field to various organizations, including Israeli public diplomacy organizations. Ofir worked as a research intern at the Institute for National Security Studies and at the Center for Policy Research in the Israeli foreign office. Ofir holds an M.A in International Relations from the Hebrew University.
	Nir Hight Nir is a researcher at the Yuval Nee’man workshop for science, technology and security. Nir holds an M.A in Security Studies from Tel-Aviv University. His Thesis focused on Media distortions in asymmetric conflicts. His current research agenda focuses on space policy and Strategy as well as Cyber warfare. Previously, he was in charge of advancing aviation and space studies for the Education System in the “Fisher Institute for Space/Air studies”. Nir also holds a B.A. (Cum Laude) in Political science, international affairs and communications from the Open University.
	Nitzan Harari Research assistant at the Yuval Neeman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security, and a third year BA student in Political Science, studying divisions in Psychology and Communications in Tel Aviv University. As part of her military service, Nitzan served in the Public Affairs branch in the IDF's Spokesperson Unit, and worked on maintaining the IDF's direct and unmediated relations with public opinion makers in Israel and was responsible for public appearances of the Chief of Staff and other senior officers in the IDF.

Past Researchers:

Dr. Gil Baram

Gil Baram is the Head of Research at the Yuval Ne'eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security, and a research fellow at the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center (ICRC), Tel Aviv University.

Gil received her PhD at the Tel Aviv University School of Politics and International Relations, specializing in cyber conflicts and national security. Currently she is an adjunct fellow at the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Her current research agenda focuses on national decision making during cyber conflicts. She explores the reasons why – despite the fact that cyberattacks are covert actions in nature, and therefore can be hidden or denied – in many cases countries choose to reveal the attack and “go public” about it. In her research, Gil is developing a new conceptual-theoretical framework and is examining it by combining qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Gil holds an M.A in Security Studies from Tel-Aviv University (Magna Cum Laude).

Gil’s research was presented at conferences such as CyCon and Cyber Week. Her work has been published in journals such as Comparative Strategy, Cyber Security: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, Middle East Quarterly, Foreign Affairs, Military and Strategic Affairs, Maa’rachot, Acta Astronautica and more.

For more information on Dr. Baram's work, please visit her website.