US-based SANS Institute, a private company that specialises in information security and cybersecurity training, has announced SANS Gulf Region 2017, its largest cyber security training event in the Middle East, in Dubai, next month.

The event will take place from November 4 to 16, and will feature eight classroom style instructor-led courses covering key security topics including ethical hacking, penetration testing, digital forensics and incident response, smartphone security and threat intelligence, said a statement.

The duration of each course is either five or six days and SANS will conduct four within the first week and the remaining four the following week, it said.

Ned Baltagi, managing director, Middle East and Africa (MEA) at SANS, said: “We are providing Middle East businesses with the rare opportunity to get their security professionals expertly trained in region by internationally qualified instructors, all of whom are active industry practitioners.”

“In under a week, each comprehensive training will dive deep into the subject matter and enable attendees to cement the skill sets they have learned through extensive practical hands-on sessions,” he said.

Depending on the course attended, participants will also be prepared to undertake the GSEC, GCIH, GPEN, GCCC, GCFA, GASF and GRID Certifications, said a statement.

Among the courses that have been specifically included to address the prime cyber security concerns that Middle East enterprises face are FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence, SEC566: Implementing and Auditing the Critical Security Controls - In-Depth, and SEC560: Network Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking, itsaid.

Baltagi continued: “These courses shift cyber defences from a reactive to a proactive standpoint and help strengthen the organisation’s security posture during the critical initial stages of the attack chain.”

“Recent high-profile attacks such as WannaCry and Petya highlight how attackers continue to go after the lowest hanging fruit with devastating success. We are however ready to arm attendees with the knowledge and skills they need to stay a step ahead,” he added.

Kai Thomsen, instructor of the ICS active defence and incident response course, said: “Active defence plays a key role in the protection of ICS networks.”

“The SANS ICS Active Defence and Incident Response class teaches the principles of defending an ICS environment against targeted threats, showing delegates how the modern approach of intelligence driven incident response can be applied to ICS and helping them start their journey of making their environment a much harder target to crack,” Thomsen added. – TradeArabia News Service