RSA® Conference, the world’s leading information security conference and exposition, has kicked off today in Abu Dhabi at the Emirates Palace. Regional and global experts will take the stage to discuss a range of topics including Cybercrime, Security Strategy, Infrastructure and Operations, Blockchain, AI, Cloud, IoT & Ransomware. Public and private organisations in the Middle East are finding themselves at the forefront of the cyber security battle, making the conference focused on the region essential.

Main Takeaways of the first day

National Cyber-Resiliency

Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, Executive Director, Signals Intelligence Agency (SIA)
Cyber-resiliency is the ability for entities, sectors and individuals to operate in the face of adversities and scenarios that disrupt daily life functions within a society. This presentation will focus on the need for a society to look at cyber-resiliency in a holistic way and on a national level. It’s an added value and encompasses the key ingredients for success.

Keynote Remarks

Eng. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Deputy Director General for Information & e-Government Sector, TRA
“The TRA plays an integral role in ensuring that electronic conversations within the UAE are conducted securely. Our participation in RSA Conference reflects our deep belief in the need to spark conversation and exchange of expertise regarding information security in the region. We will use the experience gained to further our strategic vision of promoting a safe cyber culture in the nation,” said Mohammed Al Zarooni, Acting Deputy Director General of TRA.,” said Eng. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Deputy Director General for Information & e-government sector, TRA.

The Ripple Effect

Zulfikar Ramzan, Ph.D. Chief Technology Officer, RSA
Cybersecurity is entering the age of chaos, where small intrusions have large secondary and tertiary effects never thought possible—rippling outcomes which impact our global institutions, businesses and geopolitical stability. Shifting focus from cybersecurity as a technology problem to a business problem, organizations must now plan for chaos, instead of anticipating its arrival.

Digital Transformation and the New Role CISOs Need to Play

Mark Butler, Chief Information Security Officer, Qualys, Inc.
As enterprises race towards digital transformation, CISOs must redefine their role on the digital business team. By enabling infrastructure agility and visibility, they can create business value and become a trusted partner. This keynote will discuss how CISOs can build security into accelerated technology implementations while maintaining continuous risk reduction for today’s hyperconnected business.

The Future of Cybersecurity in the Age of Exponential Change

Eddie Schwartz, Executive Vice President of Cyber Services, DarkMatter
As we look toward 2020, we are well into the fifth wave of technology innovation. And yet, in our profession, we continue to muddle along linearly and struggle with securing the first through fourth waves. This presentation will examine the increasing pace of technology innovation, key unaddressed cyber-risks, and how our profession must begin thinking about the future of information resilience.

Cyber-Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Tom Goodman, Director, International Cyber Business, Raytheon
To understand how to bolster cybersecurity across critical infrastructure, organizations must first understand their biggest weaknesses. Using power utilities and the aviation ecosystem as two examples, this presentation will explore the weaknesses of critical infrastructure and how to resolve these weaknesses to ensure the best defense against cyberthreats.