Palo Alto Networks (NYSE: PANW) founder Nir Zuk, 48, has been living in California for 20 years, but has become an important player in the Israeli cybersecurity industry in recent years. Palo Alto Networks’ development center in Israel has grown to 500 employees. The company is very active in Israel, having made six acquisitions totaling $1.5 billion in the country. Palo Alto Networks is the biggest competitor of Israeli company Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP).
Zuk told “Globes” about what he thinks about the cybersecurity sector (“too many startups”) and about his acquisitions strategy (“competition in Israel and Silicon Valley is similar”). Above all, however, Zuk stresses the differences between Palo Alto Networks and Check Point. This is not new. Zuk previously made a habit of circulating in California with car license plates bearing the saying, “Check Point Clear,” and has needled Check Point on many occasions.
Zuk is personally familiar with Check Point, having worked there for several years in the 1990s. He knew two of its founders, CEO Gil Shwed and Shlomo Kramer (the third is Marius Nacht), during his army service. In recent years,…
