Summit to highlight the importance of defending the cyber space
Given the increased risks to data security in the Middle East, the timing of the upcoming Cyber Defence Summit in Abu Dhabi could not be more appropriate. It is taking place on September 20th – 21st, 2011, and is organised by French business information company Naseba.
The two-day forum features key regional figures and cyber defence experts, including global security company Northrop Grumman, who are confirmed as Gold Sponsors.
Incidents involving infamous ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous have once again emphasised the importance of having rigorous cyber security arrangements in place. They recently hacked into the email accounts of Government officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. Login details as well as other sensitive data were subsequently leaked on the internet.
Colonel (Retired) Carl Williamson, Executive Director of Cyber Strategy Defense Enterprise Solutions, Northrop Grumman Corporation explained: “The cyber threat continues to evolve and events like the Cyber Defense Summit will allow leading industry and critical infrastructure players to design a vision that ensures reliable access to networked-systems from any point on the globe.”
He continued: “We’re all in this together. We decided to take part in the summit because our colleagues throughout the Middle East understand, as we do, that cyberspace is not an end in itself, but an opportunity for technology to catalyse innovation for collective growth. The only way to achieve that end state is via partnerships where leaders and engineers share security techniques and develop new standards that make networks fast, reliable, secure enough and widely accessible.”
The conference is the first initiative focusing solely on protecting critical infrastructure in the Middle East. It enables C-level cyber security experts from Government authorities – together with the banking, oil and gas, telecoms and utilities sectors – to explore the importance and need for increased vigilance in the GCC.
