Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Head of Security for the Emirate of Dubai, today opened the 4th Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC) – the Middle East’s largest cybersecurity event. The event is running concurrently with the Internet of Things Expo (IoTx) 2017 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 21-23 May.
The three-day GISEC event has attracted a who’s who of regional and international cybersecurity suppliers, providers and investors, with top industry experts, decision makers and business leaders gathering to discuss the latest online threats, trends and solutions. On the exhibition floor, more than 100 market-leading exhibitors and technology pioneers are showcasing the latest innovations in cyber security solutions and services, while more than 10,000 visitors will discover cutting-edge technologies and best practices to tackle advancing regional cybercrime.
Lieutenant General Tamim toured the exhibitions halls, guided by Dubai Police’s latest innovation, an autonomous robot policeman, which harness the Internet of Things (ioT), Artificial Intelligence and the latest smart technologies, making various stops to interact with exhibitors. The opening delegation stopped at the stands of UAE-based cybersecurity specialists DARKMATTER, Spire Solutions, The UK Pavilion, Dubai Police, CISCO, GBM, Oracle, SAP, Lennovo, and DIGIRobotics.
According to Gartner, governments in the Middle East and North Africa are projected to spend $11.6 billion on IT products and services in 2017 – a forecast covering investment on internal services, software, IT services, data centre systems, devices and telecom services. “Cybersecurity remains a major concern for economies globally and the UAE, much like the wider region, is no exception. GISEC plays a pivotal role in bringing together industry leading technology providers and investment decision makers to discuss cybersecurity challenges, share expertise on how to tackle current and future threats and make themselves more secure online moving forwards,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC.
Supported by Smart Dubai, Dubai Police and the National Cybersecurity Center KSA, GISEC is hosting more than 500 international delegates and features notable global security experts, including public sector representatives of the GCHQ, the UK Government’s Communications Headquarters, and the US Cyber Consequences Unit; as well as private sector visionaries from HSBC, EasyJet, Wells Fargo and GSK among others.
The three-day GISEC conference programme features sessions led by more than 75 high-profile speakers, including today’s keynote address titled ‘Defend, Deter and Develop – Boosting cyber resilience at the national level’ delivered by Conrad Prince, the UK’s Cyber Ambassador and former Deputy Director and Head of Operations of GCHQ.
The Ambassador’s address highlighted the risk of cyber attacks as a top-tier security threat to the UK’s economic and national security and the thinking behind the UK’s approach and lessons learned: “In recent years the UK has recognised that as new threats emerge there’s a need to address them and last year we set out our plans to tackle them in a new National Cyber Security Strategy, structured around three main pillars: To defend the UK’s internet and cyber space; Deter our adversaries from threatening or attacking us; Develop our cyber skills and capabilities,” said Prince. “There is also an international element to the strategy where we are developing partnerships to safeguard the long-term future of a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace, driving economic growth and enhancing global security.”
Other high-profile speakers on day one included Diana Burley, Executive Director and Chair, Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection, George Washington University, and Brigadier Khalid Nasser Alrazooqi, General Director of Smart Services Department at Dubai Police, and many others. GISEC also features a series of ground-breaking technology exhibitions, demos by leading vendors and workshops by ISC2, while a dedicated ‘Start-up Show’ is giving innovative start-ups a bespoke platform to showcase the latest cutting-edge products and solutions driving the smart tech sphere.
Elsewhere, the Future-Tech Zone is hosting game-changing technologies including eye-catching exhibitor, Hyperloop Transformation Technologies, which is highlighting its ultra-high speed rail plans, as well as Dubai Police’s latest public service innovations. The specially-created Buyers’ Lounge is proving the place to be for industry experts eager to network and gain invaluable advice on solutions that will meet budget and business objectives. Software products to tackle ever-complicated malware attacks are a popular topic, driven largely by the recent ‘Wannacry’ ransomware attack which has affected companies and users’ files in more than 150 countries.
