Future Technology Week to Shine Spotlight on Game-changing Cybersecurity

With cybersecurity spending rising sharply across the globe and cities becoming ever more connected with the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), the 2018 edition of the Gulf Information Security Conference and Internet of Things Expo (IoTX) will connect digital decision makers and technology titans from across the region and beyond while exploring and debating the latest tech innovations, cybersecurity trends and smart solutions.

The events, co-located under the Future Technology Week umbrella, will run at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 1-3 May and will feature more than 120 leading cybersecurity and technology exhibitors from 80-plus countries, showcasing the latest products and services to meet the growing demand for critical online security and blockchain solutions.

More than 7,500 infosec professionals will gather to network, knowledge share and trade, while 60-plus industry experts take to the stage for more than 100 influential talks on everything from the future of Artificial Intelligence to national cybersecurity agendas, and smart city implementation.

His Excellency Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General of the Smart Dubai Office (SDO) said: “As the world grows ever more connected, Internet of Things increasingly becomes a hot topic across many sectors. This is where events such as the IoTX become all the more necessary, offering a platform for experts to work together and complement one another to build robust networks. A smart city’s achievements in terms of advanced technologies and smart solutions help create digital asset that cannot be fully utilised unless integrated into secure and connected data platforms that are consistently updated.”

“The UAE is already making great strides towards that objective,” Al Nasser added. “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai IoT Strategy in 2017, which seeks to build the world’s most advanced Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem in the world’s smartest city to improve people’s lives.”

One of the hot topics during Future Technology Week will be the growing concern around advanced malware across the Middle East and best practices to combat cybercriminals.

Cited in the 2017 edition of Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications Predictions, countries in the Middle East are on high alert against malware attacks with systems in the region suffering at least double, in some cases eleven times as many, the global average of infected systems.

Francisco Salcedo, Senior Vice President, Etisalat Digital, said: “We are honoured to participate in GISEC 2018. This demonstrates our continued commitment to build awareness, showcase our digital security solutions, collaborate with our industry peers, and share our insights on the latest security trends. At Etisalat Digital, we view digital resilience as a strategic priority for today’s connected world. “We have invested heavily in people and technology, built operating models and have been delivering innovative and reliable digital security offerings for all industry verticals in the region.”

The 6th edition of GISEC promises to be the most energetic to date, with adrenaline-fuelled record breakers and robot dogs on patrol, while IoTX will feature the world’s first AI-composed song for the city of Dubai. With the Middle East and Africa (MEA) cybersecurity market forecast to reach USD34.6 billion by 2023, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.6 per cent, according to leading-industry market research and consultancy firm Mordor Intelligence, GISEC and IoTX 2018 will shape the agenda for the future of cybersecurity and IoT in the region.

“The mobility megatrend continues to shape the modern workforce with employees demanding access to data and working from multiple locations, leaving many open to threats. As cybercrime has increased, more than doubling over the last 6 years, problems with legacy solutions have been highlighted when dealing with sophisticated attacks that are more frequent than ever before. At GISEC, HP will focus on securing the end user devices, PCs and Printers, with security capabilities built directly into the hardware, not bolted on. This approach of building your security from trusted hardware roots, has made HP a leader in creating the most secure end user devices in the world today.” said Corbett Hoxland, Business Manager, Enterprise Solutions, HP Middle East.

In another first for the industry-leading shows, GISEC and IoTX 2018 will be opened to the public, enabling anyone with an interest in cybersecurity and IoT to gain a deeper understanding of challenges and opportunities facing the region as it continues to embrace the digital era.

The foremost cybersecurity conference in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, GISEC 2018 will deliver a comprehensive program, featuring a new one-day AI Talks. Also new to the show is the BFSI Cyber Focus Day, a unique session highlighting the challenges faced by the banking, financial services and insurance sector. In a special preview to the main event, on April 30, former CISOs from BP and Shell will deliver an in-depth session and share best practices to protect oil and gas industries in the Oil and Gas Masterclasses.

Meanwhile, IoTX will stage a three-day smart cities conference extravaganza, addressing issues surrounding how to make a city truly smart, efficient and effective. Inspire Talks provides a platform for new-age inventors from across the globe to share insight and their game-changing inventions set to transform the way we live. Additionally, the free-to-attend sessions at X-Labs will highlight the latest developments in the sphere of AI, blockchain and IoT.

“The issue of cybersecurity has witnessed rapid growth across the world - particularly in this region - in recent years as our planet becomes ever-more connected and GISEC and IoTX have grown in tandem to act as the perfect vehicle to meet those increasing demands. The 2018 edition takes on extra significance given the rise in blockchain and the adoption of AI and we have some exciting, game-changing technology reveals to share,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Events and Exhibitions, DWTC.

“The UAE leads the region in digital transformation. Dubai has strategic goals to become the world’s most intelligent city, so it is the ideal location to host an industry-shaping and society-defining exhibition and conference.”

Future Technology Week is supported by Dubai Electronic Security Center, Dubai Police, Smart Dubai, Etisalat Digital, National Crime Agency and CSA Singapore; GISEC will highlight the importance of robust information security framework by addressing challenges on global cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threats against governments, industries and organisations across the region.

Among the key sponsors of the exhibition are HP and Spire Solutions as Diamond Sponsors, Carbon Black, Cisco and GBM as Platinum Sponsors, Crowdstrike, Cylance, Fire Eye, House of Inerib, Secureworks and Security Matterz as Gold Sponsors.

Powered by GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK, the region’s leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) event, GISEC 2018 is strictly open to the security and intelligence community, including government departments, business and enterprise. For more information on tickets and packages, please visit www.gisec.ae/passes-and-prices