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IT security breaches focus for Dubai expo

Dubai, April 9, 2013

The latest information security trends, cyber security legislation in the Middle East and cyber security solutions in addition to knowledge exchange will form the agenda for an upcoming IT security conference and exhibition in Dubai.

The inaugural edition of Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (Gisec), which is designed to address the issue of information security in a focused format, will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from June 3 to 5.

Prominent companies participating include AirWatch, Cassidian CyberSecurity, HelpAG, Lancope, Sonicwall, Spire Solutions and Zeroday, among others.

Cybercrime has cost UAE residents Dh1.5 billion ($408 million) in direct financial costs according to a 2012 Norton Cybercrime Report.

However, the full impact of security breaches on businesses remains difficult to gauge, since the overwhelming majority of such cases go unreported in order to protect the business’s reputation the report stated.

Experts cite another reason for the under-reporting as the inability of many security systems to detect attacks immediately after they happen. Unreported cases could be as high as 94 per cent worldwide, according to Shawn Henry, an internationally renowned cyber-security expert who has worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Guy Meguer, general manager of Cassidian CyberSecurity in the Middle East, said: “IT security is not simply a system, but rather a combination of expertise, processes and solutions. Today's threats are more sophisticated than simple viruses, as they are planned thoroughly by a skilled team of attackers, who install malware into internal systems and then maintain a long-term presence, in order to maximise the damages.”

“This is why businesses must regularly check the ‘health’ of their systems. Although a system may not be absolutely 100 per cent secure, we, and our fellow participants at Gisec are 100 per cent committed to staying a step ahead of security trends.”

Michael Wellington, CEO of Zeroday, said: “Corporate information, personal and existential security becomes very fragile, due to untimely, unintended exchange or malicious exploitation of information.”

“Therefore our proven methodology in vulnerability assessment and risk management has benefited various organizations across the GCC and EU since 2007. As the first UAE-Hungarian information security firm, Zeroday believes Gisec can be a platform to promote the philosophy of the global multi-stakeholder model resilience and capability build in the region with Critical Infrastructure being in primary focus.”

While Gulf countries enjoy mobile and Internet penetration rates approaching 100 per cent, this has also brought with it greater vulnerability for users, exacerbated by inadequate awareness and ineffective internal procedures at many companies.

For instance, a recent study from Forrester found that 47 per cent of international security breaches during the past 12 months were caused by company insiders or business partners whether accidentally (32 per cent) or deliberately (15 per cent).

Trixee Loh, senior vice president at Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “The Gulf has demonstrated that it is a hub for some of the most innovative thinkers in knowledge-based industries.”

“Gisec brings together the prominent IT practitioners, business leaders and policy makers to collectively propose next-generation solutions that will stem the rising tide of security breaches. Given the increasing threats to information security, the event provides a much-needed platform for national, regional and international cooperation in protecting and addressing critical infrastructure.”

Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre and powered by Gitex Technology Week, the two-day conference agenda will include some of the most in-depth analysis of current trends in the industry  as well as high profile speakers, visionaries, thought-leaders, practitioners and innovators who are transforming the information security landscape. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Dubai | Internet | Exhibition | IT security | Cybercrime |

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