Tal Dilian is a Colonel in reserves in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who served as Chief Commander of the army’s secret technology unit. He is the founder of Intellexa, a spyware supplying company, implicated in the 2022 Greek surveillance scandal.
Tal Dilian | |
|---|---|
| Born | Israel |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Service | Israel Defense Forces |
| Years of service | 1980s–2002 |
| Rank | Colonel (reserves) |
| Commands | Chief Commander, IDF Technological Unit |
| Other work | Founder of Intellexa, Co-founder of Circles, Vice President of Stratasys |
| Education |
|
Life
editDilian enrolled in the IDF and volunteered in an elite Special Operations Unit after completing the basic training in the paratroopers unit. He then completed the officers' course and served in various commanding positions in the elite unit. Dilian also served in multiple positions in the Intelligence Corps headquarters. In 1994, he joined the Technological Unit of the Intelligence Corps and served as its commander from 1998 to 2002.[1] Following claims of irregularities in his unit, the military investigative police started an investigation against Dilian. His promotion was canceled, and he retired from the IDF in 2002. In 2005, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that all charges against him were dismissed.[2]
Dilian was among the founders of the Atidim project,[1] serving as CEO and now as a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Atidim Association. Dilian is also an advisor to the Daroma Tzafona association, which promoted the Israeli government’s project for developing the Negev area.[3]
Dilian also worked as a consultant in the field of technology and headed the Board of Directors of multiple high-tech companies. He was a founding partner of start-up companies such as SolarEdge, Vidyo and others.[1]
In 2011, Dilian and Boaz Goldman founded Circles. The company was sold in 2014.[4]
From 2015 to 2017, Dilian acted as the Vice President of Stratasys, a company that manufactures 3D printers.[5]
Spyware Scandal
editIn 2019, Dilian founded Intellexa, a company that specializes in data gathering and analysis.[6]
In November 2019, the Cyprus police confiscated a vehicle containing intelligence equipment worth $9 million belonging to the "WiSpear" company founded by Dilian, and in December arrested three employees of the company.[7] The court claimed that the arrest was unjustified and ordered their release two days later.[8] In November 2021, it was decided not to file charges against those involved after no findings of illegal activity were found on a personal level[9] but the company itself was fined 960 thousand euros for a series of privacy violations.[10] In February 2022, the court in Larnaca also found the company guilty of a series of privacy, communications and customs offenses[11] after a lengthy investigation in which it was revealed that the company illegally extracted information from wireless internet systems it was asked to install at Hermes airport.[12] In October 2022, a Greek investigative journalist submitted a request to the prosecutor's office in Greece to investigate criminal suspicion against Dilian and the company.[13]
He and his partner Sara Alexandra Faisal Hammo, along with Intellexa, were sanctioned by the US Government on March 3, 2024.[14]
Education
editDilian holds a bachelor's degree in political science, another degree in Law, and a master's degree in business administration from Tel Aviv University.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Tal Dilian's cv" (PDF). Ort Braude Technological College. Archived from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ רפפורט, עמיר (28 January 2005). "מארב כוכב" (in Hebrew). Maariv. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ בסוק, מוטי (11 January 2006). "היי דרומה". הארץ (in Hebrew).
- ^ אספריל, שי (30 July 2015). "מי את, סירקלס?". כלכליסט - www.calcalist.co.il (in Hebrew).
- ^ Thompson, David (4 October 2021). "Intellexa Founder Tal Dilian on the Importance of Insightful Data-Driven Intelligence for Modern Law Enforcement". Tech Times.
- ^ "Intellexa - Official site". intellexa.com. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
- ^ "Cyprus Police Arrest 3 Employees of Israeli-owned Firm on Spying Charges". Haaretz. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "קפריסין: שוחררו העובדים בחברה הישראלית שנעצרו בגלל "רכב ריגול"". Ynet. 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Κατασκοπευτικό βαν: Απαλλάχθηκαν οι τρεις κατηγορούμενοι με οδηγίες… Γενικού Εισαγγελέα". 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Νομική Υπηρεσία της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας".
- ^ "ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ν. WS Wispear Systems Limited, Υπόθεση Αρ.: 6839/21, 22/2/2022". 2022-02-22. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "המסלול העוקף של נסיך הסייבר הישראלי". TheMarker. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ יעקב, עומר בן (2022-06-10). "סערת הרוגלה ביוון: תביעה לחקור חשד לפלילים של בכיר אמ"ן לשעבר ותאגיד הביון שלו". הארץ. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "US sanctions Israeli ex-intelligence officer, spyware CEO". The Jerusalem Post. 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-04-06.