Muscat – The inaugural edition of Muscat Daily Cyber Security & Cloud Conference and Awards successfully convened on June 12 at IntercityHotel Muscat. Speakers at the conference emphasised the importance of robust cyber security measures and innovative cloud solutions in the rapidly changing digital landscape of Oman’s digital transformation.
Hosted by Interactive Apex (Apex Media), the event brought together over 150 delegates, including policymakers, IT and security leaders, cyber security and cloud solutions providers, consultants, risk and compliance professionals, and innovation leaders from diverse sectors such as banking, finance, power, telecom, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing and consulting.
H H Sayyid Dr Adham bin Turki al Said graced the conference and awards ceremony with his presence as chief guest.
In his welcome address, Saleh Zakwani, Executive Chairman of Apex Media, said, “At Apex, we are dedicated to promoting innovative thinking and fostering the exchange of information and knowledge throughout society and the business community via our print and digital media platforms.”
Zakwani added that Apex Media’s programmes are strategically created to align with the sultanate’s broader goals as outlined in Oman Vision 2040. “Within this context, we have gathered industry leaders, innovators and professionals to discuss the latest trends, challenges and advancements in cyber security and cloud services.”
The keynote address by Said bin Abdullah al Mandhari, CEO of ITHCA Group, set the tone for the day, focusing on the pivotal role of cyber security and cloud services in the rapidly growing emerging technology landscape.
Mandhari shared valuable insights into the current state and future direction of cyber security and cloud services in the Middle East and North Africa region. “In most recent conferences, there has been a lot of discussion about AI and emerging technologies, but less focus is given to the crucial security elements that enable the growth of these technologies from an economic and technological standpoint.”
He noted that cyber security and cloud technology are industries that will continue to evolve and grow alongside other industries and emerging technologies. “Presently, significant attention is directed towards emerging technologies, yet cyber security and cloud form the foundation for the growth of these industries.”
Mandhari informed that an estimated 72% of businesses in the MENA region have expressed concerns about cloud security threats targeting their cloud environments, which reflects the significance of cyber security and cloud innovations as top priorities for business leaders.
He added that the MENA region is expected to witness 20% average annual growth in its AI and cyber security market till 2030, mainly driven by the adoption of emerging technologies. “This confirms that the growth of the cyber security market will always correspond with the growth and adoption of other technologies. The cyber security market in the MENA region is expected to reach US$30bn by 2030. Similarly, for cloud adoption, the cloud services market in MENA is expected to reach US$9.8bn by 2030.”
Emphasising complementing cloud and cyber security with digital transformation strategies, Mandhari said companies and organisations must not ignore security elements while making investments in emerging technologies.
“I appreciate the focus of this conference on cloud and cyber security because it acknowledges these fields as separate economies that can drive other technologies in the right direction. It is encouraging to see some initiatives and startups concentrating not only on the local market but also regionally.”
He also pointed out that cost savings, scalability, collaborations, synergies and business continuity are the major benefits of associating digital transformation with cyber security and cloud.
Panel discussions and presentations
The conference featured a series of thought-provoking presentations, starting with Vimod Chandran, Director of Managed Security Services at Securado, who explored the transformative impact of AI on Security Operations Centres (SOC) in his presentation titled ‘Speed and Precision: AI’s Impact on SOC Effectiveness’.
It was followed by a presentation on ‘Resilience in the context of Cyber and Cloud,’ by Nayaz Mohammed, Partner – Resilience and Cyber at PwC Middle East, shedding light on strategies to enhance organisational resilience amidst rising cyber threats.
Further insights were provided by Thomas Powell, Head of Financial & Professional Services and Cyber – Middle East at Aon, in his presentation titled ‘Cyber Threat Landscape, Insurance Market Trends, and Risk Transfer Scope’.
Faiq al Mauly, SOC Manager at National Security Services Group (NSSG), spoke on ‘Cyber Security Incident Response and the Importance of Security Drills,’ emphasising proactive measures in incident management.
Ali A Raza, Middle East Practice Leader at Aon Global Risk Consulting, rounded off the session with a presentation – titled ‘Challenges in Managing Cyber Security’ – on cyber security awareness and management in Oman and challenges faced by organisations in responding to cyber threats and crimes.
The conference also featured two engaging panel discussions where industry experts shared their thoughts on navigating challenges and opportunities with emerging technologies in cyber security and cloud services, and harnessing AI and machine learning to combat evolving threats.
The first panel discussion, titled ‘Navigating Challenges & Opportunities with Emerging Technologies in Cyber Security & Cloud Services,’ featured prominent panelists – Al Waleed al Abri, Associate Information Security Specialist at Central Bank of Oman; Ali Zuhair al Khaburi, Acting GM and Senior Manager – IT GRC & Cyber Security at Nama Shared Services; Rashid al Salmi, Managing Director at Insight Information Security; Abhishek Pratap Singh, Head of Information Security (CISO) at National Bank of Oman; Hamza al Jaafari, CTO at National Security Services Group (NSSG); Khamis al Barhi, CTO at Datamount; and Saqar al Maskari, CTO and Cofounder of Tatweer Cyber Security. This panel discussion was moderated by Dr Haitham al Hajri, Cyber Security Researcher and Expert.
The second panel discussion, titled ‘Innovative Cyber Security Solutions: Harnessing AI, Machine Learning, and Automation to Combat Evolving Threats,’ featured insightful discussions with Maitham al Lawati, CEO and Founder of PowerDMARC; Sanjeev Madavi, Digital Transformation Consultant; Hussain al Maimani, Sales Director at GBM; and Shri Hari Venkatesh, Director of Application Security at Securado. The session was moderated by Benjamin Lotto, Cyber Security Researcher and former New York Times journalist.
The Muscat Daily Cyber Security & Cloud Conference provided a platform to discuss imminent cyber security challenges and the management of these, while highlighting the role of emerging technologies in enhancing defence mechanisms against sophisticated cyber threats.
The conference was supported by Oman Banks Association, Oman American Business Council, Insight Information Security, National Security Services Group (NSSG), Aon, Securado and Vidopix.
Awards
The event also recognised outstanding achievements in cyber security and cloud services by honouring 12 Oman-based companies and individuals for their exemplary contributions to the field. The trophies were handed over to the winners by H H Sayyid Dr Adham bin Turki al Said and Saleh Zakwani.
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