Samira Kattan-Beth

The Samira Kattan-BethMiddle East and North Africa Information Security Conference 2023 is themed, “Cognitive Cyber: Evolution from Reactive to Predictive Cyber Leveraging AI & Emerging Technologies: IT, OT & IoT” and aims to draw attention to the ever-evolving landscape of the cybersecurity industry and its latest Artificial Intelligence developments

The world has seen revolutionary improvements in the field of artificial intelligence and its capabilities, and virtually no sector is left untouched by these advancements. The cybersecurity sector is no different, with AI leading the industry towards a more predictive stance than a reactive one when it comes to cybersecurity defense.

A report by Grant Thornton puts the average cost of a data breach in Saudi Arabia at SAR22.4mn, so companies that take a passive approach to cybersecurity will take both reputational and financial hits to their organizations. In contrast, companies that are proactive with cybersecurity solutions save time, money, and reputational damage by preventing cybersecurity attacks.

Artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword because hackers utilize it to hone their malicious activities, as can be seen by the rising number of cyberattacks each year.

The Trend Micro Annual Cybersecurity Report for 2022 showed that 110 million threats were detected and blocked through cybersecurity efforts in the Kingdom; and since the number of records breached on average is much higher per incident in Saudi Arabia, there has never been a better time for companies and ministries to double their efforts to combat cybercrime and choose a predictive stance.

Artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent than ever in the cybersecurity industry due to its automation, efficiency and accuracy; however, those same qualities are also why cybercriminals use AI to launch attacks and search for system vulnerabilities. It is because of these pressing issues that organizations need to be at the forefront of the latest developments in the field.

Since the launch of the Vision 2030 campaign in 2017, Saudi Arabia has risen to ranking 2nd place when it comes to its commitment to cybersecurity, according to the Global Cybersecurity Index. With such explosive growth, there has never been a better time for visionaries and organizations from different sectors to come together and collaborate to define the cybersecurity industry’s future at the MENA ISC 2023 event.

The Middle East-North Africa Information Security Conference 2023 aims to gather thought leaders from the cybersecurity sector with the goal of changing the industry’s stance from a defensive, reactive one to an offensive, predictive one.