GISEC Global to put spotlight on Women Cyberseurity Experts

Zawya

25-04-2025

Ahead of the Middle East and Africa's largest cybersecurity event, two female leaders speak on the importance of women's opportunities in the sector and how to involve them more
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: As Dubai prepares to become the centre of the cybersecurity universe next month with GISEC Global 2025, two female cybersecurity leaders have emphasised the importance of diversity and attracting more females to the industry to tackle the pressing challenges.
The Middle East and Africa's largest cybersecurity event returns for its 14th edition from 6th to 8th May at Dubai World Trade Centre, with a key focus on the influential role of women in the worldwide cybersecurity industry. It will be hosted by the UAE Cybersecurity Council, and supported by Dubai Electronic Security Centre, Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police.
A recent report shows that women worldwide account for only 24 per cent of security teams. To help increase this figure and break down barriers in this sophisticated and complex field, GISEC's Inspire Programme returns, spotlighting female leaders who can shape the future of cybersecurity. Featuring a series of sessions highlighting the achievements and insights of female cyber security professionals, it includes keynote speeches, panel discussions and interactive sessions led by distinguished female leaders and changemakers.
The cybersecurity super-connector's agenda includes dedicated panel discussions and workshops focusing on women, and the event is set to welcome hundreds of experts from around the world. The event's distinguished list of eight female speakers includes: H.E. Tigist Hamid Mohammed, Director General at Information Network Security Administration (INSA); Dr. Bushra AlBlooshi, Director of Cybersecurity Governance Risk Management Department at DESC; Francel Margareth Padilla, Female Cybersecurity Leader & Evangelist at Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Pei Ling LEE, Head of Cyber Strategy and Capabilities Development at INTERPOL and others.
Among those taking to the stage is Aarti Borkar, Corporate Vice President of Customer Success and Incident Response for Microsoft's Security business.
A passionate supporter when it comes to encouraging women to pursue a career in technology, she believes it is crucial that women are given opportunities to leverage their expertise, given the ever-more sophisticated evolution of cyber threats.
She said: 'The need for cognitive diversity in cybersecurity is foundational as it's the only way we can see a situation in a full 360-degree view. It allows us to build more comprehensive programmes. We tend to describe cybersecurity in terms of warfare and attack scenarios, whereas security going forward is about analytics, predictive models and proactive protection.
'Organisations need to continue to highlight the importance of diverse and cohesive teams to improve the outcomes we need in the cyber security space and highlight the amazing women that are doing truly innovative work so other females are inspired to follow them. Every action counts towards building a more cognitively diverse workforce.'
Her views come at a time where the advent of AI is helping to strengthen security systems and cyber defences while also presenting potential risks that can benefit cyber criminals.
'Historically, security by obscurity was relied upon, but AI can find everything, necessitating proactive data security measures,' she added. 'On the other hand, AI tips the balance between defenders and attackers in favour of the defenders. As AI adoption grows, the relationship between AI and data security becomes crucial. If we employ AI to help us with improving the speed and accuracy of catching incidents early and improving our hunting capabilities it truly changes the game.'
Danni Brooke is another female industry leader attending GISEC Global as a speaker. As co-owner and co-founder of OSINT Group, she brings her expertise in covert operations, intelligence, and cybercrime into the digital world, having spent over a decade undercover, infiltrating some of the UK's most dangerous criminal organisations.
With a strong commitment to empowering women, Brooke, who is also an award-winning author and a member of the Cybersecurity Board of Advisors, believes human effort is vital to protecting data and information, and that more needs to be done to highlight the different roles available within the industry.
She said: 'One of the biggest risks in the future of cybersecurity is the increasing sophistication of social engineering attacks. As technology evolves, so do the tactics used by cybercriminals, who are now leveraging AI, deepfakes, and behavioural analysis to manipulate individuals into unwittingly compromising their own security.
'AI and ML (machine learning) will be crucial in detecting and responding to cyber threats in real time, using behavioural analysis to identify anomalies, prevent attacks, and automate defences.
'I strongly believe that a human is essential in any threat intelligence operation. While automation plays a critical role in speeding up detection and response, humans are absolutely needed to help plot and piece the data jigsaw together. The ability to interpret patterns, understand context, intuition and make informed decisions is something that machines alone cannot replicate.'
She added: 'One of the biggest barriers to diversity in cybersecurity is the misconception that it is purely a technical field. Many people are unaware that cybersecurity encompasses a wide range of roles, including threat intelligence, risk management, policy development, governance and human behaviour analysis. Organisations should focus on outreach and education, highlighting these opportunities to attract a more diverse talent pool.'
The three-day GISEC Global 2025 at Dubai World Trade Centre is set to attract over 750 global cybersecurity brands as well as over 25,000 professionals from more than 160 countries. It will feature a packed schedule including thought-provoking debates and engaging discussions as well as all-new OT Security and a National Security Programme.
About GISEC Global
GISEC Global, Middle East & Africa's largest and most impactful cybersecurity event, will return to Dubai World Trade Centre for its 14th edition taking place from 6th to 8th May 2025, under the overarching theme of 'Securing an AI-Powered Future.' Following the monumental success of 2024, the super-connector event for the region's cybersecurity industry will bring together over 25,000 attendees, 750 exhibiting brands and 350-plus speakers hailing from over 160 countries. GISEC Global stands as the unrivalled platform for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. More information: www.gisec.ae
About Dubai World Trade Centre
With a vision to make Dubai the world's leading destination for all major exhibitions, conferences and events, DWTC has evolved from being the regional forerunner of the fast-growing MICE industry into a multi-dimensional business catalyst, focusing on Venues, Events and Real Estate Management. Complementary to the primary service offerings are a range of value-added services from media/advertising, engineering and technical consultation and wedding planning, security, and hospitality.