Meet Yair Yair Pur, Cyber Researcher

Yair Yair Pur is a Cyber Researcher at At-Bay, where he identifies and investigates new cyber threats as they arise. In particular, Yair works to minimize risk by helping our portfolio companies remain as secure as possible.

Yair’s manager describes him as “a very quick thinker,” which lends to his success as a researcher in the ever-changing cyber domain. A member of our Cyber Research team since July 2021, he approaches his work with an open mind, incorporating technical, cyber security, insurance, and engineering knowledge.

We talked with Yair to learn more about his work and his insights into the cyber insurance landscape.

1. What’s one skill that you have developed over your career that helps you shine at At-Bay?

I’m very flexible in my approach to work, which helps me succeed in the diverse range and scope of projects our Cyber Research team takes on.

The research we do at At-Bay is not the typical cyber research, which often focuses narrowly on the details and functions of specific malware. Instead, we examine the cyber landscape more holistically whenever new threats unfold. We begin with big-picture research, then dive deeper in order to understand the overall risk of vulnerabilities as well as their potential impact on insured companies of many sizes and industries.

Because our team approaches research with a multi-disciplinary approach — drawing on knowledge of cyber security, technology, engineering, and insurance — my adaptability allows me to remain focused as uncertain situations unfold.

2. What challenges do you see on the horizon for InsurTech?

The biggest challenge I see is human error. No matter how technologically advanced businesses become, employees are still the ones using the technology. The capacity for human error trumps the technology and knowledge we have.

Insured businesses don’t always understand the vulnerabilities in their tech or the best ways to address these vulnerabilities. This has been, and will continue to be, one of the biggest hurdles for the industry.

For example, some companies may not know how to securely manage passwords or may not use multi-factor authentication. Our job on the Cyber Research team is to support businesses through ongoing security recommendations to help keep them safe.

3. How does your team approach cyber research?

Because the Cyber Research team continuously scans At-Bay’s portfolio in order to help keep insureds secure as new vulnerabilities arise, we have to be sure to always include the most up-to-date scanning for new vulnerabilities. For that reason, one of our central objectives is to keep pace with the ever-changing cyber landscape. 

Our approach to this goal is actually one of my favorite aspects of the team. We work quickly and autonomously, with a very specific philosophy: Each person discovers their own path to a solution, then we combine our various methods. This is good for both the individuals and the team, as it allows each person to employ their unique knowledge and provides insights into various angles of the same problem.

4. What is your favorite or most fulfilling part of uour daily work?

One of my favorite things about my work is how immediately I can see its positive effects. It’s quite amazing to introduce new security recommendations and to say, ‘Hey, we saved hundreds of thousands of dollars — just like that.’

I also appreciate the people I get to work with. At-Bay’s people are knowledgeable in many fields, and everyone is always willing to help each other. Even if a topic is a bit out of scope, they’ll find a way or a person to answer any question.

5. What’s your favorite memory of At-Bay?

My favorite memory is the two-day trip the Tel Aviv office took to the Ramon Crater last fall. We all stayed in a hotel by the desert and enjoyed some ATV driving, on-foot exploring, and star-gazing. It was great fun to spend time outside of work with the Tel Aviv team and to share a new experience!

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About At-Bay

At-Bay is the InsurSec provider for the digital age. By combining world-class technology with industry-leading insurance and security expertise, At-Bay was designed from the ground up to empower businesses of every size to meet cyber risk head on. Our InsurSec approach provides end-to-end protection for modern businesses. It’s a force multiplier that includes security, threat intelligence, and human experts to close the SMB cybersecurity gap — all as part of their insurance policy.