His excellency lieutenant general Abdullah Khalifa Obaid Al Marri, commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, opened the 10th edition of GISEC Global 2022 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
He also toured the three-day event accompanied by dignitaries including his excellency Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, head of cyber security, UAE Government and his excellency Hamad Al Mansoori, director general, Dubai Digital.
Delivering his keynote under the theme, ‘Cybersecurity as a shared responsibility in a volatile cyber world’, Dr Al-Kuwaiti said that building and upscaling the human factor was one of the most important aspect of building a secure cyber future. “Human factor is an important pillar across this ecosystem,” he said.
“If we look at the current landscape, awareness and collaboration are key to building a culture of cybersecurity readiness,” said Al Kuwaiti. “We need to innovate and work towards building the next generation of cyber security professionals. The UAE Cybersecurity Council has a timeline and the plan is to export the UAE’s cybersecurity model across the region.
“As the world starts to recover from the pandemic, big industries – education, healthcare, oil and gas, aviation, etc. – are going through rapid digital transformation. Their security is ours, and the more they are secure, the more we are as well. Cyber-attacks aren’t bound by borders, so neither should be our approach to private sector and government collaboration.”
Among the speakers on opening day, Stephen Kavanagh, executive director of police services at Interpol, delivered his address to the industry discussing how the public and private sectors must play collaborative roles in the response to cybercrime.
“Today, we find ourselves in a new world,” said Kavanagh, the former chief constable of Essex Police in the United Kingdom. “We need a clear vision where all parties work together. Interpol is increasingly bringing data and expertise from the private sector to assist law enforcement. It is unrealistic to think law enforcement can recruit and retain the best brains, so that is where they turn to the private sector.”
With more than 300 global cybersecurity brands showcasing cutting-edge technologies, GISEC GLOBAL 2022 is hosting leading international and regional innovators such as Huawei, Spire Solutions, Microsoft and Etisalat on how to tackle increasing threats resulting from a rise in remote working and rapidly accelerated digitalisation.
