Latest news with #CyberSniper
Gulf Today
07-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
GISEC is a global hub for cybersecurity innovation and collaboration: Experts
The first day of the GISEC Global 2025 has once again positioned Dubai at the heart of global cybersecurity discussions. Now in its 14th edition, the three-day event, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, has become a key platform for advancing cybersecurity dialogue and innovation. Top global cybersecurity enterprises, government officials, CISOs, and experts from leading corporates in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, are showcasing cutting-edge solutions, exchanging frontline insights, and forging strategic alliances aimed at strengthening cyber defenses across borders and industries. UAE's Strategic Cybersecurity Vision: The UAE is widely regarded as a global leader in cybersecurity, thanks to its forward-thinking policies and national strategies designed to strengthen its digital infrastructure. This vision is underpinned by initiatives like Cyber Sniper, which upskills local talent, and the Dubai Electronic Security Center's cybersecurity index, which ensures organizations adhere to strict security guidelines. Ned Baltagi, Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at SANS Institute, shared his thoughts on the UAE's proactive approach to cybersecurity. Baltagi said: "The UAE's forward-thinking cybersecurity policies and national strategies are setting a global example. By aligning with frameworks like SCyWF and investing in programmes that develop homegrown talent, the UAE is building a sustainable cybersecurity ecosystem." He further emphasized that the SANS Cyber Academies are instrumental in developing local talent through industry-aligned training and certifications, helping to bridge skills gaps and enhance regional resilience. Cybersecurity Innovation: One of the key themes discussed on the first day was the increasing role of AI in both driving cyberattacks and advancing cybersecurity defenses. With AI-powered threats becoming faster, more targeted, and harder to detect, the cybersecurity community is responding by leveraging AI to enhance defensive measures. Sujoy Banerjee, Associate Director at ManageEngine, highlighted the growing complexity of cyber threats and the need for evolving regulatory frameworks to address them. He stated, "Although AI is intended to ease the burdens of organizations today, it has turned out to be a menace. Becoming an ally for bad actors, AI introduces potential (and scalable) cyber risks into the picture in the form of fake websites, hyper-realistic phishing attempts, and much more." Banerjee also called for updated policies and guidelines to combat AI-specific threats, such as data poisoning and misuse of AI agents, which could undermine traditional cybersecurity defenses. Endorsing a similar view, Meriam ElOuazzani, Senior Regional Director for META at SentinelOne, said. "GISEC plays a pivotal role in advancing the region's cybersecurity landscape by uniting global innovation with regional ambition. It's where the region shapes its cyber resilience blueprint and asserts its leadership on the global stage." ElOuazzani spoke about the significance of agentic AI, a technology that autonomously triages alerts, investigates threats, and triggers full-loop remediation workflows. This innovation is changing the paradigm from reactive security to proactive defense, ensuring faster response times and stronger protection. The Growing Threat of AI-driven Ransomware: AI-driven ransomware has emerged as one of the most pressing concerns. Attackers are leveraging AI to automate phishing, adapt in real-time, and bypass traditional defenses, resulting in more targeted and damaging attacks. Gopan Sivasankaran, General Manager, Secureworks, a Sophos Company, explained how this evolution is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. "AI-driven ransomware is fundamentally changing the way cyberattacks unfold—making them faster, more targeted, and harder to detect," he noted. This rise in AI-powered cybercrime is not only challenging traditional security measures but also reshaping the dynamics of cyber insurance. Sivasankaran continued, "Insurers are looking for organizations to demonstrate proactive detection, rapid response, and end-to-end visibility before offering favorable coverage." As a result, businesses must invest in AI-driven security solutions like Sophos' XDR and MDR to reduce exposure to such threats and meet rising insurance expectations. Collaboration in Cyber Defence: GISEC 2025 highlighted the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in addressing the region's most significant cybersecurity challenges. Maher Jadallah, Vice President for Middle East & North Africa at Tenable, discussed how GISEC provides a unique platform for this collaboration: "Every year, GISEC unites the global and regional cybersecurity community, providing a vital platform for exchanging knowledge, forging partnerships, and driving innovation." Jadallah emphasised the growing importance of a risk-based approach to vulnerability management, particularly in sectors like energy, utilities, and manufacturing, where operational technology (OT) is increasingly converging with IT. "By combining continuous visibility across IT and OT assets with threat intelligence, security teams can focus on the most impactful risks," he added. This unified approach to cybersecurity is essential to ensure resilience across critical infrastructure environments, which are often prime targets for cybercriminals. Upskilling and Retaining Local Talent: A major theme throughout GISEC 2025 was the need to upskill local cybersecurity talent. As the region faces a growing cybersecurity skills gap, many organizations are now prioritizing internal development over external hiring. Ned Baltagi from SANS Institute noted, "Curiosity, adaptability, and cultural fit often outmatch technical credentials—and these traits already exist internally." Companies are recognizing that these qualities are crucial for building a resilient cybersecurity workforce. Baltagi's comments resonate with the findings of SANS' latest Workforce Research Report, which shows that 51% of organizations prefer to upskill their existing teams rather than hiring externally. By investing in tailored training programs and certifications, companies are ensuring that their teams are equipped to handle the complex challenges of today's rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape. GISEC 2025's first day reinforced the UAE's commitment to becoming a global leader in cybersecurity. As the region continues to face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the emphasis on AI-driven solutions, collaboration, and upskilling local talent is more critical than ever. Industry leaders underscored the need for proactive cybersecurity measures, continuous innovation, and international cooperation to build a secure digital future. With GISEC providing the stage for these vital discussions, the UAE is well-positioned to lead the way in shaping the global cybersecurity landscape.
The National
17-04-2025
- Business
- The National
UAE can become exporter of cyber security talent, senior official says
The UAE is committed to becoming a "net exporter of cyber security talent", said the head of the UAE's Cybersecurity Council, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti. He is in Washington to meet government and private sector technology officials to discuss sharing techniques in the fight against cyber criminals. 'Our main focus is cyber crime, cyber terrorism and cyber warfare,' Dr Al Kuwaiti told The National on Thursday. Despite the dark and seemingly endless amount of cyber threats around the world, Dr Al Kuwaiti said he was optimistic and referred to the UAE's accolades in the cyber security sector. The 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index gave the country the highest tier one rating – for countries viewed as role models in the sector. Dr Al Kuwaiti said partnerships and the sharing of information and techniques helped the UAE to attain the tier one rating. He said that recipe for a strong cyber defence played a big role in his Washington visit. 'We do these things by partnering with everybody, governments, private sector, NGOs, you name it, and alhamdulillah, that's what took us to be number one in so many cyber security indexes," he added. The UAE also recently announced the creation of a Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, with support from Google. That centre is expected to involve the creation of more than 20,000 jobs and help to attract foreign investment estimated at $1.4 billion by 2030. 'Through this collaboration, we are not only enhancing our national cyber capabilities but also building a robust innovation ecosystem that is projected to help prevent over $6.8 billion in cyber crime-related losses by 2030,' he said. 'This initiative is a cornerstone in our national strategy.' Dr Al Kuwaiti's optimism about the UAE remaining at the forefront of cyber defence comes at a time when many experts around the world are sounding the alarm about a looming cyber security talent gap. In a previous interview with The National, Akshay Joshi, head of industry partnerships for the World Economic Forum's centre for cyber security, said there soon could be a shortage of 3.3 million cyber security professionals. 'The UAE is committed to not only closing the talent gap, but also becoming a net exporter of cyber security talent,' Dr Al Kuwaiti said, adding that the country's recently launched initiatives, such as Digital Strategy 2025, Cyber Sniper and Cyber Future Leaders, have positioned it to bridge the anticipated talent gap. He also said that artificial intelligence, and the UAE's early interest in the technology, would help to limit the effect of the shortfall in talent. 'We strategically leverage artificial intelligence through two key avenues, firstly by automating a broad spectrum of tasks using Agentic AI and AI Agents," he added. "And secondly, we will empower our workforce through the integration of advanced AI systems that enhance their capabilities, elevate efficiency, and enable faster, more informed decision-making across the cyber security landscape.' But Dr Al Kuwaiti was quick to point out, as others in the cyber security sector do, that AI can be a knife that cuts both way, lowering the entry threshold for those who want to commit cyber crimes. 'According to the 2025 State of the UAE Cybersecurity Report, we are witnessing a sharp increase in AI-powered attacks, including hyper-realistic phishing schemes, deepfakes, among other threats,' he said, adding that the UAE has made it a priority to conduct simulated cyber drills, while also equipping government employees with advanced defensive capabilities to protect national infrastructure. However, for all the awareness stemming from cyber crime, cyber threats and nefarious actors seeking to do technological harm, Dr Al Kuwaiti said there were also misunderstandings about how to best approach cyber security. 'One of the most persistent misconceptions is that cyber security is purely a technical issue, to be handled exclusively by IT teams,' he explained. Studies show human error such as weak passwords or unintentional system use remain some of the leading factors contributing to cyber crime vulnerability, he said. 'Another misconception is that only large organisations or certain sectors are at risk, when in fact, any individual or entity with valuable data can be a target,' he added. He said the UAE wanted to foster a sense of cyber security awareness similar to personal hygiene. 'It needs to be in people's DNA to be aware of what they're downloading, the links they're clicking and the information they're sharing,' he said, noting the various points of entry that cyber criminals use. Dr Al Kuwaiti said the UAE Cybersecurity Council was working on awareness and engagement campaigns to instil the idea that cyber security should be a societal priority and not just a technical mandate. 'Our goal is to empower every individual – from CEOs to students – to understand their, role in safeguarding the digital space,' he explained.
