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Microsoft calls for Zero Trust approach in the hybrid workplace

The company continues to safeguard the hybrid workplace by providing organisations of all sizes with a host of solutions

Microsoft today has reiterated its commitment to securing the hybrid workplace of the future through its participation at Gisec 2022, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading cybersecurity event.

The company’s participation is aligned with the objectives of the UAE Government as it bids to design laws and processes that can strengthen its cybersecurity posture and fend off an increasingly sophisticated array of cyber-attacks.

“Security has never been more critical for our customers given the evolving threat landscape and the move to hybrid work that so many companies are now forced to navigate,” said Sayed Hashish, general manager, Microsoft UAE.

“At Microsoft, we have been hard at work to empower our customers to defend themselves against cyber threats, and we have earned their trust: we generated $15 billion in security revenue in 2021, up nearly 45 per cent from the prior year. This makes Microsoft the biggest security company in terms of revenue and allows us to further strategically invest in our security offering: in 2020, we committed to invest $20 billion over five years, a four-fold increase from previous rates, to speed up its cyber security work," he said.

The company continues to safeguard the hybrid workplace by providing organisations of all sizes with a host of solutions, such as Microsoft’s Defender for Cloud, which is the only cloud provider with native multi-cloud protection for the industry’s top three platforms, and Microsoft Defender for Business, which helps companies with up to 300 employees defend against cybersecurity threats, including malware, phishing, and ransomware in environments with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.

“Digital transformation cannot happen without security transformation. Our Gisec participation is aligned with the objectives of the country’s public and private enterprises as they look to secure their digital estates. The growing sophistication of threats is driving widespread change for cybersecurity professionals, enterprises, and governments. Cybersecurity experts must work together as a community and share expertise, research, and insights," Hashish said.

During the next three days, the company is demonstrating the inherent security strengths of the trusted Microsoft Cloud, as well as how regional stakeholders can use Microsoft's Zero Trust approach to create safer environments for themselves, their employees, and their customers.

Microsoft, as a strategic partner, is exhibiting the use of tools to enable collaborative work in various scenarios, showcasing how innovative devices and platforms can create secure, hybrid workplaces. Microsoft Security Partners Help AG, Cloud 4C, Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Paramount will also showcase their solutions at The Microsoft Hub.

Microsoft’s Security Trusted Advisor Paula Januszkiewicz will discuss the ‘hacker’s perspective’ at the Gisec Mainstage, exploring how new risks necessitate a revised set of cybersecurity priorities for 2022.

Meanwhile, at the Inspire Stage, Microsoft UAE's marketing director Inass Farouk will discuss factors inhibiting female empowerment in cybersecurity as well as the importance of mentorship programs and the need for an action-oriented roadmap.

Additionally, Microsoft’s senior global cybersecurity technical specialist, Hesham Saad, will be on the X-Lab Stage addressing the issue of rethinking OT and IoT security to mitigate cyber threats. Moreover, at the Dark Stage, he will be informing delegates about the state of modern-day ransomware attacks and how to fight extortion.

One of the most important aspects of Microsoft's cloud journey has been to help businesses in the region accelerate their digital transformation capabilities in the most secure way possible. Its datacentres in the UAE are also contributing to job creation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth throughout the Middle East. These cloud regions foster innovation by offering scalable, highly available, and resilient cloud services while maintaining data residency, security, and compliance requirements.

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com