SANS Institute to Enhance Critical and Strategic Cybersecurity Skills in Saudi Arabia

SANS Institute, the global leader in cyber security training, announced SANS Riyadh 2019, a training event for cyber security professionals in Saudi Arabia. The event, which will be held at Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski, Riyadh from July 28 to August 1, 2019, will focus on developing skills in critical security and strategic security planning.

SANS Riyadh 2019 will include two courses - Implementing and Auditing the Critical Security Controls; and Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership, conducted by global cybersecurity experts, Brian Ventura and Mark Williams respectively.

"Nation state cyberattacks targeting sensitive critical infrastructure and large-scale enterprises are now a norm that all governments worldwide have to consider. Our courses are designed to train cybersecurity professionals in Saudi Arabia to counter such sophisticated nation-state driven attacks on the Kingdom’s critical and national infrastructure. " said Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East & Africa at SANS Institute.

"As well as our trademark, deeply technical courses, we also have courses designed to help governments and enterprises build cybersecurity strategies inside organizations to increase their cyber resilience. SANS Institute is committed to increasing the levels of self-reliance among organizations in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries." he added.

In July 2018, a royal decree was issued in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which stressed that all government agencies should upgrade their cyber security to protect networks, systems and electronic data, and abide by policies, frameworks, standards and guidelines issued by National Cybersecurity Authority. In October 2018, the National Cybersecurity Authority in Saudi Arabia, issued a core cyber security controls document for minimum standards to be applied in national agencies to reduce the risk of cyber threats. This applies to private, public, and government institutions.

Implementing and Auditing the Critical Security Controls is a comprehensive course on how to implement critical security controls, using a prioritized, risk-based approach to security. Meanwhile, during the Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership course, professionals are trained to use tools to become a security business leader, with the ability to execute strategic plans that resonate with other business executives, create an effective information security policy, and develop management and leadership skills to lead and motivate teams.    

About the trainers

Brian Ventura is an Information Security Architect with 20 years of industry experience. With a diverse background in consulting, public and private sector, and project management, Brian offers a comprehensive view of security and technology. Brian advises public and private entities on security best practices generally and within large projects.

Mark Williams holds the position of Principal Systems Security Officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. He holds multiple certifications in security and privacy. He has authored and taught courses at undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as public seminars around the world.