The fourth Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC), the Middle East's largest cybersecurity event, opened today in Dubai with more than 100 exhibitors and technology pioneers showcasing latest innovations.

Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, head of security for the Emirate of Dubai, opened the event, which is running concurrently with the Internet of Things Expo (IoTx) 2017 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 21 to 23.

The GISEC has attracted major 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.

More than 10,000 visitors will discover cutting-edge technologies and best practices to tackle advancing regional cybercrime at the expo, a statement said.

Lt Gen Tamim toured the exhibitions halls, guided by Dubai Police’s latest innovation, an autonomous robot policeman, which harnesses 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, Lenovo, 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.

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.  – TradeArabia News Service