To help organizations in the fight against escalating cyber security threats in the region, eSecurityDen 2017, the first-ever demonstration-only format conference on cyber security in the Middle East, will be held in Dubai Feb. 28, 2017.
Based on the theme “Innovate, Educate, Demonstrate,” the event will introduce the audience significant innovations in the eSecurity/cyber security in a new, modern format, and educate then on the latest threats entities from different industries face.
“eSecurityDen 2017 aims to bring the latest and most innovative global cyber security solution providers to the region for the first time to help solve cyber security challenges in an exciting demonstration-only format conference,” Jeremy Boorer, advisory board member for eSecurityDen and spokesperson for eSecurityDen 2017, told Gulf News Journal.
This one-day conference is made up of a series of seven-minute live demonstrations. Unlike traditional conferences, there will be no keynote sessions or parallel conference tracks at the event, and each participating company receives the same exposure in terms of space, time, etc., which will encourage the newest innovators to promote themselves on an equal footing with others. The conference is also actively seeking the startups, innovators, and new entries in the eSecurity arena to attend.
“Having been as an exhibitor, presenter and delegate at many conferences and events in the eSecurity market over many years, we feel that the current traditional presentation based format could be enhanced to focus on the compelling aspects an organization offer really,” he said. “In our view, the most effective way of achieving that is via demonstration over presentation. This approach breaks the traditional way conferences are set up and gives benefits to both the vendors and the delegates alike.”
In the Middle East, the financial, hospitality, retail, oil and gas sectors are the primary targets of security threats. According to the PwC Middle East’s Global State of Information Security survey, businesses in the region suffered larger losses than other areas in the world last year due to cyber incidents. Around 18 percent of respondents in the area have experienced more than 5,000 attacks, compared to a global average of only 9 percent, ranking the Middle East higher than any other region.
“Constant innovation is needed to deal with the ever-evolving eSecurity risks that organizations face,” Boorer said. “The Middle East has a growing cyber security market which is estimated to be worth $9.56 Billion by 2019, and Dubai is the gateway for organizations to enter the Arabian Gulf.”
The conference will cover all aspects of eSecurity that affect an organization both internally and externally, which include preventing financial loss, securing the perimeter, authentication, anti-phishing, threat protection, stopping malware and data leaks, and securely communicating via email or file exchange.
“eSecurityDen 2017 is a result of our own direct experience on how the companies find ideal solutions for their cybersecurity risks,” Boorer said. “A typical CIO has to deal with the ever-changing landscape of the market and often it is tough for them to differentiate among the providers merely by looking at their marketing brochures or attending exhibitions. We, therefore, aim to empower CIOs, CEOs and senior managers in the GCC with information, which is not told but rather demonstrated.”
The region is slowly embracing the culture of a proactive strategy for cyber security and comprehensive resiliency plans to help minimize losses and protect the organization’s reputation. However just like the rest of the world, for most of the businesses other priorities often take precedence and hence leave them at more risk of an attack.
On a positive note, the governments have taken the cyber security challenge seriously and has drafted standards and frameworks for organizations to adhere to. For example, the UAE’s National Electronic Security Authority (NESA) has declared cybersecurity as one of the biggest economic and national security challenges facing countries in the 21st century.
"Every industry sector large and small have eSecurity challenges: banks face fraud losses, oil and gas intellectual property theft, hospitality and retail data breaches,” Boorer said. “We realize that eSecurity is a cross vertical challenge and hence bringing together industry professionals from all business areas will benefit all concerned.”
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