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Demand for cybersecurity professionals in the UAE is on the rise, say experts
Analysts and industry specialists said Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play an important role to address cybersecurity concerns.
BUSINESSES should evolve and implement comprehensive solutions to thwart rising cybersecurity threats as digital transformation accelerates across the globe, experts say.
Analysts and industry specialists said Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play an important role to address cybersecurity concerns but corporates, businesses and individuals need to train staff and enforce latest technology tools to mitigate potential security threats effectively.
Talking to BTR on the sidelines of 13th edition of Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (GISEC) Global in Dubai, leading executives said conventional cybersecurity measures are unlikely to protect hundreds of thousands of organisations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices and endpoints.
"In today's interconnected world, cybersecurity has emerged as a key pillar for securing digital transformation for businesses, communities and individuals," said Dr Moataz bin Ali, Regional Vice- President and Managing Director, MMEA, Trend Micro.
The leading global cybersecurity group, which released its report ‘Calibrating Expansion’ at the event, said it played a pivotal role in safeguarding cybersecurity in the UAE, with its solutions blocking and detecting over 83 million threats.
“This includes the prevention of over 26 million email threats and more than 11 million malicious URL victim attacks. Furthermore, Trend Micro identified and stopped more than 28 million malware attacks, showcasing its effectiveness in protecting digital infrastructure in the country,” according to the report.
GROWING MARKET
Ned Baltagi, Managing Director for Middle East, Africa and Turkey at SANS Institute, said the global cybersecurity market is valued at approximately $222.66 billion as of 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3 per cent through 2030. Another report estimates the 2024 market size at around $182.84 billion, with expectations to reach $314.28 billion by 2029, reflecting a CAGR of 11.44 per cent.
“This growth is fuelled by increasing digital threats and the need for advanced security solutions across various sectors,” he said.
He said the outlook for the cybersecurity market is highly positive, with steady growth expected over the next five years.
“This optimism is driven by the ongoing need for robust security measures to combat the evolving and increasing number of cyber threats, alongside the growth of technologies like cloud computing and IoT. The market's growth is further supported by significant investments in cybersecurity infrastructure across industries.”
To a question, he said the demand for cybersecurity professionals in the UAE is on the rise, with the market expected to grow from $0.52 billion in 2023 to $0.95 billion by 2028.
“This growth indicates a robust demand for skilled cybersecurity workforce driven by the country's focus on becoming a digital economy and enhancing its cybersecurity infrastructure,” he said.
About a minimum training period to handle cybersecurity challenges, he said: “While specific training durations can vary, a basic cybersecurity awareness programme for office staff typically involves a few hours of initial training, supplemented by ongoing sessions to keep on top of ongoing trends and the shifting landscape of attack techniques. This training is crucial to equip staff with the knowledge to identify and mitigate potential security threats effectively.”
AI ROLE IS VITAL
Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said the AI revolution has been remarkable and exciting to witness, but it has also presented a growing amount of risk.
“Increasingly, we are seeing attackers launch highly sophisticated cyberattacks, making it imperative for organizations to bolster their cybersecurity defenses and stay vigilant to safeguard sensitive data and maintain operational resilience," he said.
Meriam El Ouazzani, Regional Director, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at SentinelOne, said AI and automation can significantly enhance data protection and mitigate risks.
Meriam El Ouazzani, Regional Director, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at SentinelOne, said AI and automation can significantly enhance data protection and mitigate risks. Referring to the 2023 IBM Cost of Data Breach Report, he said organisations in the Middle East deploying security AI and automation extensively experience 134 days shorter data breach lifecycles, saving SR12.22 million on average.
“These technologies facilitate early detection and rapid response, crucial for minimising breach damage. Phishing, constituting 16 per cent of breaches in the region, can be combatted effectively through AI-driven threat detection.
Additionally, AI-powered insights and attack surface management tools reduce breach costs by SR1.13 million and SR1.08 million, respectively, offering proactive defence mechanisms. And early adopters of Purple AI, SentinelOne’s AI security analyst, report executing threat hunts 80 per cent faster,” she said.
In reply to a question, she said the average cost to avert cybersecurity threats in the UAE can vary depending on various factors such as the size and nature of the organisation, the level of security measures already in place, and the specific cybersecurity threats being addressed. However, according to the 2023 IBM Cost of Data Breach Report, the total cost of a data breach for organisations in the Middle East reached SR29.9 million in 2023.
“This figure gives an indication of the potential cost savings associated with investing in advanced cybersecurity measures, including AI-driven solutions, in the UAE and the wider Middle East region.”
“While strides have been made, it's unlikely the majority of businesses are fully equipped to avoid all cyber threats. Many have invested in advanced technologies like AI and automation and have strong incident response plans in place, yet others, particularly SMEs, may lack sufficient resources or awareness,” she said.
“Cybersecurity encompasses more than just technology; it requires a culture of awareness, regular employee training and upskilling, and effective policies. Continuous adaptation is necessary as cyber threats evolve. Thus, while progress has been made, ongoing efforts are needed to ensure businesses of all sizes are adequately positioned to defend against attacks.”
CHALLENGES REMAIN
Bernard Montel, EMEA Technical Director and Security Strategist at Tenable, said the cyber threat to organisations in the UAE has significantly increased recently. Referring to a statement, he said the public sector alone faces nearly 50,000 cyberattack efforts every day.
“Attackers see many ways in and multiple paths through technology environments to do damage to organisations. Organisations aren’t helpless. To mitigate the risks, it is essential to gain full visibility into both IT and OT environments and determine where vulnerabilities exist. To secure the modern attack surface security teams need a unified approach to security that transcends silos,” he said.
Bernard Montel, EMEA Technical Director and Security Strategist at Tenable, said the cyber threat to organisations in the UAE has significantly increased recently.
He said security teams have long struggled to address the challenge of prevention in the face of evolving attack techniques. “With attackers constantly finding new ways to breach organisations, security teams struggle to keep up. AI has the potential to change that. It can be used by cybersecurity professionals to search for patterns, how they explain what they’re finding in the simplest language possible, and how they decide what actions to take to reduce cyber risk.”
Montel said AI can and is being harnessed by defenders to power preventive security solutions that cut through complexity to provide the concise guidance defenders need to stay ahead of attackers and prevent successful attacks.
“Harnessing the power of AI enables security teams to work faster, search faster, analyze faster and ultimately make decisions faster. While AI is capable of quickly identifying and automating some actions that need to be taken, it’s imperative that humans are the ones making critical decisions on where and when to act,” he said.
MAJOR CYBERSECURITY THREATS
According to a recent global study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Tenable, about 43 per cent of cyberattacks experienced by each organisation successfully breached defenses in the last two years . This forces security teams to focus time and efforts on reactively mitigating cyberattacks, rather than preventing them in the first instance. In fact, 58 per cent of respondents said their cybersecurity team was too busy fighting critical incidents to take a preventive approach to reducing their organisation’s exposure to attacks.
“The move from a reactive security posture to a preventive approach is imperative. At its core, preventive cybersecurity requires the ability to assess and prioritize vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in context with user data and asset prioritisation. Organisations must take action to understand the risks they face, address the challenges standing in their way and ultimately reduce the sheer volume of successful cyberattacks the security team has to react to,” Montel said.
The same study revealed that 74 per cent of respondents view cloud infrastructure as the greatest source of exposure risk in their organisation. “Identities in particular are an emerging threat given they are the keys to accessing cloud resources. If compromised, they enable attackers to gain access to everything, particularly sensitive data and systems. Ensuring we keep our credentials private, so not overly sharing them, is a quick win,” he said.
He said the infrastructure that underpins organisations today has experienced dramatic transformation with automation driving progress.
—muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com
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