Keren Elazari

Founder of Leading Cyber Ladies, Co-Founder of BSidesTLV & Senior Researcher at Tel Aviv University

Keren Elazari’s Biography:

Keren Elazari is best known as one of the world’s most influential cybersecurity thinkers and the first Israeli woman to deliver a TED Talk. Her groundbreaking presentation, “Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System”, was selected as one of TED’s Most Powerful Ideas of 2014, propelling her onto the global stage as an authoritative voice on hackers, digital resilience, and the future of cyber defence.

Keren’s early career began in technical, hands-on roles that laid the foundation for her expertise. She worked as an Information Security Architect for iTcon, an Operational Security Expert with Matrix, and later, Cyber Security Business Development Manager for Verint. These formative positions helped her build a deep understanding of both the technical and strategic sides of the cyber world, enabling her to become a trusted advisor and respected figure within the industry.

Over the years, Keren’s achievements have positioned her among the most prominent cyber experts worldwide. Beyond her historic TED milestone, she has been a Senior Researcher at Tel Aviv University and a Teaching Fellow at Singularity University. She authored The Friendly Hacker newsletter, contributes to Women in Tech, and has been featured in leading publications such as Scientific American and the Financial Times. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she has addressed global forums like RSA Conference, Wired, TEDx, NATO’s International Conference on Cyber Conflict, and ITBN Security Conference.

Keren also champions diversity and innovation in the cyber community. She is the Founder of Leading Cyber Ladies, empowering women globally in cybersecurity, and Co-Founder of BSidesTLV, Israel’s largest hacker community event since 2016. Her leadership roles include serving as Chair of the IDC Herzliya ICT International Conference on Cyber Terrorism. Today, Keren continues to influence the global cybersecurity landscape through her research, writing, and high-impact keynote presentations.

Why Hire Keren Elazari?

Keren is hired as a speaker for her rare ability to decode complex cybersecurity challenges into compelling insights that inspire action. With unmatched expertise, media presence, and real-world experience, she delivers energetic, visionary keynotes that resonate with executives, technical teams, governments, and the public. Her talks empower audiences to view hackers differently, embrace future risks, and build resilient digital strategies.

Keren Elazar’s Career Highlights:

Below showcases Keren Elazari’s inspirational career highlights that influenced her career throughout cybersecurity, AI, and technology:

• 2025 – Speaker with BSidesTLV at Cyber Week
• 2024 – Speaker at Cyber Week
• 2021 – Guest Lecturer, Reichman University
• 2016 – Co-Founder, BSidesTLV
• 2016 – Contributed to “Women in Tech”
• 2015 – Founder, Leading Cyber Ladies
• 2015 – Senior Researcher of the Balvatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Centre, Tel Aviv University
• 2014 – First Israeli woman to deliver a TED Talk. Her talk, “Hackers: The Internet’s Immune System”, has been viewed by millions and translated into over 30 languages
• 2013 – Research Fellow, Tel Aviv University
• 2012 – Security Teaching Fellow, Singularity University