NADIA MALINOFF-KAN: A CYBER CAREER

BY MATTHEW LEWIS, GVAHIM ALUMNUS AND CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

Nadia Malonoff-Kan is from Argentina. She made Aliya 23 years before this article was written, back before Gvahim was even a sparkle in the founders’ eyes. She studied Computer Science, but struggled with transition here:
“My studies didn’t help me at the beginning. I wanted to work in Hi Tech, but with no Hebrew and no connections it was impossible. Nothing like Gvahim existed to help Olim, so I found work as a waitress in Yotvata restaurant.”
After 2 years she found an entry level role at Checkpoint, retrieving faxes and entering orders in the system, and slowly but surely nudged her way into operation and project management. She spent 8 years there in total, growing with the company. She joined Sentrigo, a startup that Mcafee purchased after she was there for 3 years. After Mcafee she worked for Cybera, which was purchased by Palo Alto. She later worked for Verint, and now has spent 2 years working at a Cybersecurity Startup, Intezer, that has a completely new approach to malware detection (but more on that later).

Nadia has four daughters, and a dog called Coco. She lives with her family in Or Akiva. Nadia is a mentor at Gvahim.

What are the main advantages of working for a Startup?

“Working in Startups is definitely more exciting than working for larger enterprises. Startups are dynamic and flexible. You’ll be part of a family, and it will be an adventure that you share with that family. The salary is not the most important aspect of a job. You need to look at the entire compensation package and consider the feeling that you are part of something really revolutionary and there may be a successful exit as well.

An exit is when a larger company purchases a startup, and the employees normally share part of the compensation. This can be a life-changing amount.

“Personal Development inside a startup is different too: you can be expected to do more than your own role, and learn about much more than a specific profession.

However, many people with families that want a stable timetable and a well-defined role don’t like the chaotic startup life.

Larger enterprises are starting to adopt the startup culture more and more, focusing on making a fun environment and creating a family, rather than seeing it as a 9 to 5 routine.”

What advice do you have for Olim Hadashim looking for jobs in Israel?

“Finding a career in Israel is a lot about networking and a lot about luck: being in the right place at the right time. Be patient, it can take up to a year to find the right job, and don’t be afraid to repackage yourself: you might have to start from the bottom of the bottom, and use your experience to get promoted quickly along the way”

Tell me more about Intezer

“I missed working in Startups. So about two years ago I moved to Intezer as the VP of Business Development.

Intezer introduces a Genetic Malware Analysis technology, revolutionizing cyber threat detection and response. By revealing the genetic origins of all software code, Intezer equips enterprises with an advanced way to detect modern cyber threats, while providing deep context on how to effectively respond to incidents. Intezer offers solutions for incident response automation, cloud security, threat intelligence, and more.”

Where do you see Intezer in the future?

“Growing! And I’ll be here growing with it”