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Tahawul Tech
6 days ago
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
AI-driven cyberattacks demand machine-speed defences, says Kiteworks CISO
Frank Balonis, CISO and SVP of Operations at Kiteworks, warns that compliance-led organisations must replace human-dependent security with automated, AI-enabled controls to survive the next wave of autonomous cyber threats. AI-driven cyberattacks are reshaping the threat landscape with unprecedented speed, scale, and precision. Frank Balonis, CISO and SVP of Operations at Kiteworks, spoke to Sandhya D'Mello, Technology Editor, CPI Media Group about how traditional compliance frameworks and human-dependent controls are no match for autonomous adversaries. Organisations must now adopt machine-speed defences, real-time data visibility, and automated enforcement to withstand AI-enabled threats. With regulatory demands increasing and the financial impact of breaches soaring, the path forward demands unified architectures, zero-trust strategies, and AI-powered anomaly detection to ensure both security and compliance. Interview Excerpts: The recent research demonstrates AI's ability to autonomously execute complex network attacks with alarming precision and scale. How do you see this redefining the cybersecurity threat landscape for compliance-driven organisations? The convergence of autonomous AI attack capabilities and organisational vulnerability creates an unprecedented compliance crisis. Carnegie Mellon and Anthropic research proves AI can autonomously breach networks with 100% success rates, while 83% of organisations lack basic controls against AI data exposure. This redefines the threat landscape fundamentally. Attacks now operate at machine speed 24/7, systematically exploiting hundreds of vectors simultaneously while, per IBM, shadow AI incidents cost $670,000 more than standard breaches. With 59 new AI regulations in 2024 and fines exceeding $100,000 becoming common, compliance-driven organisations face a stark reality: deploying AI-enabled security isn't optional anymore. For healthcare, financial services, and any entity handling sensitive data, machine-speed defenses have become the minimum viable protection against adversaries that never sleep, never forget, and scale infinitely across attack surfaces. What makes traditional data loss prevention (DLP) and regulatory compliance frameworks ineffective against such AI-driven attacks? Traditional DLP and compliance frameworks fail against AI-driven attacks because they were designed for predictable, human-speed threats within controlled environments. The research reveals fundamental mismatches. DLP relies on signature-based detection, but AI attackers generate novel attack vectors in real-time that never existed before, rendering pattern databases obsolete. While security teams investigate alert #1, AI has already executed attacks #2 through #50 at machine speed. Most critically, compliance frameworks like GDPR and HIPAA require tracking all data processing activities. Yet, 86% of organisations are blind to their AI data flows. With employees routinely sharing sensitive data through 1,200+ shadow AI applications. The fragmentation compounds failure: organisations average 15,000 ghost users and 176,000 inactive identities that AI can exploit, while disconnected security tools create visibility gaps. Traditional controls – training (40% adoption), policies (10%), and warnings (20%) – provide zero protection against autonomous systems that methodically catalog every vulnerability and execute multistage attacks with surgical precision. From a compliance standpoint, what immediate controls or policies must be re-evaluated or re-implemented in light of this development? From a compliance standpoint, organisations must immediately shift from human-dependent controls to automated technical enforcement. The research proves only 17% of organizations with automated blocking survive AI attacks. Training, policies, and warnings provide zero protection. Critical re-evaluations are required in regard to: Access Controls: Deploy automated AI-specific blocking, as 97% of breached firms lacked proper controls. Audit Trails: Establish forensic-quality tracking for GDPR/HIPAA compliance, since 60% can't respond to data requests. Real-time Classification: Only 10% have properly labeled files required for compliance. Unified Governance: Consolidate fragmented tools into command centers, tracking data lineage through AI processing. The mandate is clear. Compliance requires machine-speed technical controls, not human measures that fail universally. What architectural shifts should organisations consider to secure sensitive content when attackers operate at machine speed and scale? Organisations must architect for machine-speed defense through four fundamental shifts. Unified Command Centers should be used to consolidate fragmented security tools into platforms providing total visibility, as AI exploits blind spots between disconnected systems. Automated Technical Controls should be used to deploy blocking and scanning at machine speed, since only 17% with these controls survive AI attacks while human-dependent measures fail universally. Zero-Trust Data Architecture implements controls that verify every access in real-time, as AI systematically exploits trust relationships and 15,000 ghost users in typical enterprises. AI-vs-AI Defense Layers includes AI-powered anomaly detection that learns organisational patterns and responds in milliseconds, not hours, matching attacker capabilities. The architectural imperative here is to shift from perimeter-based human-speed security to data-centric machine-speed protection that follows sensitive information wherever it flows. With forensic-quality audit trails satisfying regulatory requirements while defending against adversaries that operate 24/7 at inhuman precision. Given the scale and memory capabilities of AI-driven attacks, what practical steps would you recommend to CISOs and compliance heads to strengthen their defence posture and ensure regulatory readiness? CISOs and compliance heads need three critical defenses against AI's perfect memory and infinite scale. Immediate (0-30 days): Deploy automated blocking and anomaly detection, as only 17% with these controls survive AI attacks. Establish zero-trust verification for every access since AI catalogs all discovered credentials. Consolidate (30-90 days): Unify fragmented tools into a single platform, eliminating blind spots between 1,200+ shadow applications. Deploy AI-powered defense responding in milliseconds, not hours. Compliance (90+ days): Implement forensic audit trails for every data movement, automated classification, and real-time reporting. Success metrics: sub-second detection, 100% audit coverage, minutes-to-containment. The mandate here is to match AI's machine speed and memory with equally capable defenses. Human-dependent measures guarantee failure.'
Tahawul Tech
15-07-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Vendor-distributor partnerships rewrite channel playbook, says D-Link official
Strategic collaboration, innovation, and digital agility are redefining partnerships across the channel ecosystem. The vendor-distributor relationship is undergoing a profound transformation in response to today's fast-evolving technology landscape. No longer confined to traditional logistics or transactional exchanges, these partnerships are now strategic alliances fuelled by shared data, joint innovation, and a relentless focus on customer outcomes. Businesses face ongoing supply chain disruptions, shifting market demands, and rapid digitalisation, vendors and distributors are working hand-in-hand to drive growth, resilience, and relevance. Sakkeer Hussain, Director – Sales & Marketing at D-Link Middle East and Africa, speaks to Sandhya D'Mello, Technology Editor, CPI Media Group, about how industry leaders are building stronger, smarter, and more future-proof collaborations. Interview Excerpts: How has your approach to vendor-distributor collaboration evolved over the last few years, particularly in light of digital transformation and new technology trends? Our approach to vendor-distributor collaboration has evolved significantly, driven by rapid digital transformation and shifting customer expectations. We've moved away from a purely transactional, product-based model to a value-driven, collaborative partnership. We view our distributors as true strategic partners. No longer are they just helping us with logistics—they're helping us go to market more intelligently, quicker, and more in touch with what our local customers need. We've invested in digital technologies that enable us to stay in touch in real time, from common dashboards for inventory forecasting right through to integrated CRM technology that allows us to be more responsive and more ahead of demand. We've also stepped up collaboration when it comes to training and support. With technologies like cloud, cybersecurity, and AI evolving fast, it's important that everyone—from us to the reseller on the ground—feels confident selling complete solutions, not just standalone products. Most importantly, we're focused on outcomes. Customers today want flexible services and value they can see, not just hardware. That's why we're building things like bundled offers and subscription-style models together with our partners. What key factors are driving stronger partnerships between vendors and distributors in today's rapidly changing market? In today's fast-moving tech landscape, vendor-distributor relationships are becoming more strategic and value-focused than ever. Here's what's driving this shift: Digital Transformation Distributors are no longer just moving products—they're enabling digital growth through cloud platforms, online marketplaces, and subscription-based services. Customer-First Approach Businesses want results, not just products. That's why vendors and distributors are co-creating bundled, industry-ready solutions that solve real-world challenges. Resilient & Responsive Logistics With ongoing global disruptions, flexibility is key. Strong communication and localised inventory planning help both sides stay resilient and responsive. Upskilling for Success Knowledge is power. Vendors are investing in partner training, certifications, and tools to help distributors confidently sell complex, next-gen technologies. Smart Market Expansion Distributors bring local expertise and trusted networks—making them essential partners for tapping into new regions and verticals. Data-Driven, Growth-Focused Partnerships With real-time data sharing at the core, vendors and distributors can forecast demand, plan more effectively, and respond quickly to market changes—laying the foundation for agile, trusted relationships built for long-term innovation and customer success. How are supply chain challenges impacting your relationships with vendors and distributors, and what strategies are you implementing to ensure smooth collaboration? In recent years, supply chain disruptions—like chip shortages, shipping delays, and global uncertainty—have pushed us to rethink how we work with vendors and distributors. Instead of weakening ties, these challenges have strengthened our collaboration, shifting the focus from efficiency to agility, transparency, and resilience. 'We're now working more closely than ever—sharing data, planning together, and solving problems side by side—to keep stock moving, meet demand, and minimise impact on customers.' To stay ahead, we've rolled out a few smart strategies: Shared digital tools for forecasting, order tracking, and inventory planning—so everyone sees the same data and can react fast. Localised inventory hubs to bring stock closer to key regions and reduce dependence on long routes or single suppliers. Flexible procurement models that allow for quick switches in sourcing without sacrificing reliability. Joint scenario planning to prepare for 'what ifs' before they happen. And most importantly, a deeper investment in long-term relationships—because in tough times, trust and teamwork matter more than ever. What role does innovation play in strengthening vendor-distributor partnerships, and how do you foster a culture of innovation in these collaborations? Innovation is more than a buzzword—it's the fuel for growth in vendor-distributor relationships. It's about co-creating solutions, tackling new customer challenges, and staying ahead of tech trends. It helps us offer unique products, adapt to market changes, and work smarter. We keep this spirit alive by investing in joint solution-building, running innovation workshops, and rewarding bold steps. We value open communication and learning from trial and error. Ultimately, innovation makes our partnerships agile, valuable, and future-ready. We nurture a culture of innovation in our partnerships by focusing on a few key initiatives that spark ideas, encourage collaboration, and turn concepts into real solutions. Co-creating differentiated solutions We team up with distributors to build unique offerings—bundling services, vertical-specific solutions, and go-to-market strategies that help us stand out from the crowd. Staying ahead of market shifts Innovation helps us respond faster to evolving customer demands and tech trends like cloud, managed services, and AI—keeping our solutions fresh, relevant, and competitive. Boosting agility through smart processes By embracing automation, data-driven tools, and streamlined operations, we enable faster decision-making, better forecasting, and a more responsive supply chain. Fostering a culture of innovation together From joint solution development and hackathons to partner incentives and open feedback loops—we create an environment where ideas thrive, risks are shared, and innovation is part of our daily rhythm. What are the top three priorities for your company when selecting a distributor or vendor in the current business climate, and how do these factors influence your long-term partnership strategies? In today's rapidly shifting tech landscape, choosing the right vendor or distributor isn't just a tactical move—it's a strategic one. For us, the right partner is someone who brings more than just products to the table. Here are the three key traits we look for: Digital-first mindset & innovation readiness We seek partners who are not just digitally enabled but digitally driven. Those who leverage automation, cloud platforms, analytics, and e-commerce tools stand out. Their tech maturity helps us co-create smarter, scalable solutions aligned with where the market is going, not just where it's been. Strong channel and local market intelligence A deep understanding of regional dynamics and a proven channel network are critical. We value partners who can localise strategies, tap into new verticals, and help us grow across diverse geographies with confidence and precision. Operational flexibility and dependability In a world of constant disruption, we rely on partners who can pivot fast, communicate openly, and deliver consistently. Agility, reliability, and transparency are no longer perks—they're expectations. At the end of the day, we're not just looking for suppliers—we're building future-ready alliances that thrive on shared goals, innovation, and customer-centric outcomes.
Tahawul Tech
02-07-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
The Future Enterprise Awards
The Future Enterprise Awards, hosted by CPI Media Group and are one of the most iconic technology events in the IT industry across the Middle East region. The fact that the Future Enterprise Awards are so iconic is primarily due to their incredible longevity, this year's edition will mark the 20th edition of the coveted technology awards. One other indelible factor in the historic success of the Future Enterprise Awards is the fact that the event is always held on Day 1 of GITEX Global. Simply put, the Future Enterprise Awards are interwoven into the GITEX fabric and always will be. As the digital landscape continues to evolve at incredible speed, recognizing and celebrating innovation is more important than ever. The Future Enterprise Awards 2025 will pay tribute to the fearless leaders, visionaries and companies that are championing change through cutting-edge technologies that are completely reshaping and transforming the digital future we live in. Be part of the celebration, and whether you're a CIO, CISO, CTO, or a tech entrepreneur, this event offers insights and perspectives on who's driving change, why they're doing it, how they're doing it, and what impact it is going to have on us as a society.
Tahawul Tech
09-05-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Hitachi Vantara leads the charge in AI-powered, sustainable IT infrastructure
Rehan Shahid, Regional Channel & Alliances Manager – Middle East & Pakistan at Hitachi Vantara, spoke to Sandhya D'Mello, Technology Editor, CPI Media Group, about the transformational role of AI across its three defining phases—Perception, Generative, and the emerging Agentic AI—while addressing the complexities of hybrid cloud adoption and the urgent need for sustainable infrastructure. The following excerpts explore how Hitachi Vantara is helping enterprises navigate this rapidly shifting landscape—simplifying complexity, maximizing ROI, and driving purposeful innovation. Interview excerpts Hitachi Vantara is known for driving innovation through AI. How do you see AI transforming enterprise IT operations, and what role does your company play in this evolution? AI is truly transformative for enterprise IT operations, and at Hitachi Vantara, we've been at the forefront of this evolution for years. We view AI in two phases—Perception AI, which supports decision-making through data-driven insights, and Generative AI, which represents a more recent revolution fuelled by accelerated computing and GPU advancements. Generative AI, in particular, has democratised access to AI capabilities—enabling anyone to create new content, generate reports, and even build presentations simply by using prompts. However, success with AI isn't just about the technology—it's about knowing how to engage with it. Being able to prompt effectively and interpret results critically is what turns AI into a collaborative tool rather than a disruptive force. This is where human-AI interaction becomes central. At Hitachi Vantara, we don't just provide AI infrastructure; we distinguish ourselves by offering end-to-end AI solutions. We help enterprises define their AI use cases, build the infrastructure, and—most importantly—align each initiative with measurable ROI. This turnkey approach empowers organizations to adopt AI meaningfully, ensuring that technology serves business objectives and not the other way around. Sustainability is a growing priority in enterprise IT. How is Hitachi Vantara integrating sustainable practices into its solutions, and what impact do you see in the Middle East and Pakistan region? Sustainability has become a critical focus for everyone—from individuals to organisations and nations. With the rise of AI-powered data centres and their massive energy consumption, the urgency around sustainable infrastructure has never been greater. For context, powering a single gigawatt AI data centre can cost up to $40 billion, with global projections pointing to the need for 200 gigawatts—amounting to a staggering $8 trillion. This kind of energy demand can rival that of entire cities, making sustainability both an environmental and financial imperative. At Hitachi Vantara, we are taking a leadership role in driving sustainable enterprise IT. Our infrastructure is ranked among the world's most energy-efficient. In fact, four of the top five systems globally rated by ENERGY STAR for sustainability are from Hitachi Vantara. We are also ranked number one in the Carbon Product Footprint (CPF) initiative, which assesses the total environmental impact of a system—from raw material sourcing and manufacturing to shipping and energy consumption during operation. Our innovation in this space is underpinned by patented technologies that significantly reduce energy consumption. This is especially relevant for high-growth regions like the Middle East and Pakistan, where large-scale digital transformation and AI adoption are accelerating. As these regions invest in giga-scale projects, the need for sustainable IT infrastructure becomes even more crucial. Through our end-to-end CPF-qualified ecosystem and ongoing investment from Hitachi Ltd., we are committed to helping the region—and the world—achieve its long-term sustainability goals. Hybrid cloud adoption is accelerating across industries. What are the biggest challenges organisations face in implementing a hybrid cloud strategy, and how does Hitachi Vantara help simplify this transition? Hybrid cloud has emerged as the dominant model for enterprise IT, offering the flexibility to keep critical data under one's own control while leveraging the scalability of the public cloud. However, implementing a successful hybrid cloud strategy comes with its own set of challenges. One key challenge is determining which workloads should reside on-premises and which are better suited for the public cloud. This involves understanding application requirements, associated costs, and compliance or latency considerations. For 'Day One' customers just starting their cloud journey, the complexity lies in assessing this balance. Meanwhile, 'Day Two' customers—those already operating in the public cloud—often face cost overruns and begin re-evaluating what workloads might need to be brought back on-premises, a process known as repatriation. At Hitachi Vantara, we simplify this transition by offering a flexible, unified infrastructure and data management platform that supports seamless workload mobility between on-prem and cloud environments. We help customers optimise hybrid strategies not only for performance and compliance, but also for cost efficiency and operational control. Our approach ensures mission-critical applications can run securely on-prem, with the agility to shift to the cloud during peak periods—enabling enterprises to strike the right balance and future-proof their IT operations. Looking ahead, what key AI-driven and cloud innovations do you foresee shaping the future of IT infrastructure, and how is Hitachi Vantara positioning itself to support this transformation? The future of IT infrastructure is being redefined by the rapid evolution of AI, moving through three transformative phases. We began with Perception AI, which supported data-driven decision-making and reporting. Today, we're deep into Generative AI, which empowers users to create content through natural language prompts. But the next wave—Agentic AI—is where the most profound shift will happen. Agentic AI refers to systems that can take autonomous actions without human intervention. For instance, imagine your system noticing you're running late to a meeting and automatically notifying the next attendees. These AI agents will act on behalf of users in context-sensitive ways, making operations more seamless and responsive. However, with this power comes responsibility. Organisations will need to define clear boundaries for what agents can and cannot do—just like HR departments manage human roles. In fact, IT teams will increasingly resemble HR functions, responsible for creating, nurturing, deploying, and managing these digital agents. Hitachi Vantara is already preparing for this future. We're actively developing AI agents for use across sectors including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy. Our work focuses not only on creating these agents but also on embedding them within secure, scalable, and sustainable hybrid cloud infrastructures. By combining our deep enterprise expertise with AI and cloud innovation, we're helping businesses transition into a future where IT is intelligent, autonomous, and adaptive. Image Credit: Hitachi Vantara
Tahawul Tech
24-04-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
'Security is everyone's responsibility' – Firas Jadalla, Genetec
Firas Jadalla, Regional Director for the Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Genetec spoke to Daniel Shepherd from CPI Media Group at the Genetec empower360 roadshow in Dubai. The event delved into the importance of open architecture and IoT technologies in developing smarter cities. There was also a strong focus on new trends in access control technology, simplifying video management and providing advanced scalable solutions. With almost 20 years at the Genetec, Firas Jadalla has witnessed their humble beginnings in 2005, to its expansion across nine Middle Eastern cities. In addition to their focus in Dubai and Riyadh, Genetec has local teams in Doha, Cairo and Cape Town South Africa. They have also been recognised as a leader in innovation worldwide with headquarters in Montréal and offices in multiple countries. Which security trends do you believe organisations should keep in mind when it comes to secure solutions? When you consider security, we are seeing more awareness around cybersecurity which was triggered by the pandemic. We see more end users and system integrators looking for solutions that can meet the current challenges of cybersecurity. Another element is an increased focus on unification. 20 years ago, people were interested in the idea of having an interface between physical security solutions. They wanted to have alarms, control systems and video feeds interfaced together, which we now know as integration. Today, the trends are more focused around unification. In integration multiple different systems are combined definitively for efficiency and unification represents a unique concept. To elaborate on the last point, how does unified security differ from current security solutions businesses use? When we talk about a built-in unified product there is a big difference between that and an integrated solution. A unified solution is built from the ground-up with the same code and aspects as most physical products. With unified solutions we take one solution that can meet all your requirements such as physical security, video management, access control system, license distribution system, intercom and more. Some projects might not require all these features, but broadly it provides one solution with one interface. Consider it like Microsoft Office which includes Excel, PowerPoint and Word under a familiar interface. With the Genetec Unified Platform, it is one platform and one interface that meets all these requirements in a seamless package. This is advantageous because it becomes easier to deploy, train employees or perform updates without breaking any links. Do you see cloud security solutions becoming more common or is hybrid still popular with your customers? All of us in Genetec agree that the cloud is going to dominate the future of security solutions. For us it is not a question of will, it is a question of when. When will we see this adoption reach over 50%? When will over 50% of physical security installations rely on an on-prem cloud? When you look at enterprise solutions, there is a bigger appetite for hybrid verses cloud. If we look at small deployments like shop cameras, the owners will likely prefer everything to be linked via cloud. However, with bigger examples like airports that use thousands of cameras it becomes more meaningful and cost effective to use a hybrid solution. Hybrid offers the best of both worlds as you can address issues related to bandwidth and the cost of bandwidth whilst being able to use cloud access from anywhere to gather insights. Can your security centre solutions incorporate and develop alongside the changes we are seeing in access control technology? Our flagship product offers a unified platform for management control. What you get with this platform is that every time a software update is available you only need to do it once to keep things running smoothly. There are no unnecessary integration links or interfaces. Our latest products feature an element called GUS (Genetec Upgrade Service) which when enabled, automatically checks for updates during night hours. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to say to our readers? As a company, Genetec has taken a very strong stance on cybersecurity since 2016. We've seen people become aware of the importance of having a secure security solution right after the pandemic. During that time more people were working from home leading to an increase in the number of cyberattacks. We've continued to encourage our system integrator, channel partners and end users to give cybersecurity the importance it is due. At Genetec, with have improved our solutions with built-in cybersecurity and created guidelines for our system integrator during deployment to tighten security measures. Our solution includes many features such as, encryption to avoid man-in-the-middle attacks between cameras and the servers' workstation. I would like to take this opportunity to remind people of the critical nature of their own security systems and at the end of the day it is everyone's responsibility. Whether it's Genetec being the supplier, our system integrator deploying it or the end user running it, everyone is accountable. We must all work together to share the responsibility. Image Credit: Genetec
