Fifteen senior Information Security (InfoSec) leaders from the UAE convened to explore cybersecurity best practices and delve into the theme of “Complete Visibility: A CISO’s Dream or Reality?” The event was organized by Cyber Management Alliance, a global leader in cybersecurity consultancy and training, in collaboration with ExtraHop, a prominent US-based cybersecurity company offering AI-based network intelligence for countering advanced threats in cloud, hybrid, and distributed environments.
Hosted at the prestigious Fairmont Dubai on March 15, 2023, the Spotlight Dinner Event facilitated discussions among the participating CISOs on emerging cybersecurity topics, including the increasing popularity of ChatGPT and the quest for Full Visibility. A key focus of the event was the examination of whether achieving “Complete Visibility” is merely a dream or an achievable reality for CISOs.
A notable highlight was the keynote address by Mahmoud Yassin, CISO of United Arab Bank, who shared practical insights into how he successfully implemented Full Visibility within his organization. The central theme of his presentation emphasized the critical goal for every CISO and SOC manager – attaining complete visibility to detect suspicious activity early on and consequently disrupt malicious activities more promptly.
Known for their spontaneity and unscripted nature, CM-Alliance’s Spotlight Dinner Events encourage lively discussions and active participation. This particular event was no exception, witnessing enthusiastic engagement from cybersecurity leaders who shared valuable insights, best practices, and challenges based on their extensive experiences.
Several participating cybersecurity leaders offered their perspectives on the event:
Hussein Bahgat, Group Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, expressed, “I keep coming back because the discussions are always very focused. The questions are highly interesting and provocative.”
Sabir Shaik, Head of Systems Development & Information Security Unit at the Department of Finance, Dubai Government, shared, “They have provided a demonstration of a very good solution about NDR (Network, Detection, and Response). It is the first time I’m hearing about this solution in the market.”
Tushar Vartak, Director of IT Risk, Fraud Prevention & Detection at RAKBANK, remarked, “The duration is not very long. There wasn’t a lot of marketing, and there was a lot of technical talk that I really love about this. And all my CISO colleagues were here, and it was really a great discussion.”
Amongst the chief challenges mentioned by the participating CISOs was – complicated network and system infrastructures, hybrid infrastructures that keep getting more complex as they expand, and ever-changing and dynamic connectivities that span multiple geographical and regulatory boundaries. ExtraHop, the sponsor of the event, readily addressed several questions about how their AI-enabled solution enables businesses to achieve visibility despite these challenges.
The goal of the knowledge-sharing session was to better understand the best ways to achieve visibility and reduce the time to respond to cyber incidents. How to demonstrate a tangible ROI was also amongst the key topics that the cybersecurity leaders deliberated over.
Another factor that makes a huge difference to the outcome of the discussions in the Spotlight Event is that it is led by a practising CISO, Amar Singh, the CEO of Cyber Management Alliance, Course Creator and UK Government-Certified Trainer in Cyber Incident Response.
This also means that these events lead to the exact results that vendors seek – meaningful insights into the customers’ actual requirements and needs. Further, as Amar facilitates the discussions with vendor objectives in view, the discussions fruitfully highlight the strengths of the products/services and how they can truly resolve customer challenges in the real world.