The GCCIA forum at the GCC pavilion ends on a high note

Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

Operational Technology (OT) – hardware and software that monitors or controls equipment, assets and processes in industrial environments, has become a prime target for rapidly growing cyberattacks.

According to the Global IoT/ICS Risk Report, 71% of networks have outdated operating systems that no longer receive security updates, 64% use insecure passwords, and 66% are not updated with the latest antivirus updates.

In the aftermath, the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) organized a two-day forum on cybersecurity strategies. The event brought together some of the best minds in the industry and highlighted the importance of network monitoring and robust physical security to effectively secure OT systems, as well as shed light on the latest strategies, tools and frameworks for securing industrial control systems (ICS) against cyberattacks.

Eng. Ahmed Al Ebrahim, CEO of GCCIA, said, “It was great to meet industry experts during this forum. Cybersecurity is a relevant issue, and a comprehensive framework and guidelines are essential to minimize system security risks. This forum aimed to stage the latest strategies and tools to secure the ICS against cyberattacks, as well as to identify a set of basic controls to improve the cybersecurity of a critical infrastructure. I would like to take this opportunity and express my gratitude to all participants and speakers for coming together and making this forum a great success.

Dr. Nasser Al Shahrani presented panelists and keynote speakers at the forum with trophies of appreciation for their valuable insights and discussions.

Dr. Ahmed Amin of Cyber-force, one of the keynote speakers at the event, highlighted the importance of backups and said, “In their response to cyber attacks, organizations can immediately initiate a backup to recover data, then they can be affected again and no mitigation plan. Constant backups are essential for disaster recovery.

Bas Kruimer, Business Director, Digital System Operations, DNV, also highlighted the importance of backups and their importance for data recovery. Similarly, Van Dragnev, Cyber ​​Security Principal Technical Lead Europe, EPRI, shared examples of automation opportunities in mitigating threats against various forms of cyberattacks, while Dr. Ahmed Amin, PhD Researcher, Cyber -force, focused on the importance of threat contextualization and threat prioritization as critical factors for an effective cybersecurity response. Alternatively, Naveed Hamid, Dragos presented a comprehensive guide to building a threat-informed defense to protect critical infrastructure.

In summary, the forum focused on cybersecurity for the utility sectors – OT and IT. Experts introduced the IED management model and highlighted the importance of applying cybersecurity controls to existing systems. They also highlighted the importance of building a threat-informed defense to protect critical infrastructure, highlighted incident responses in OT, and focused on how to combat threats using the Security Orchestration automated response methodology.

The Expo will be a big event. The whole world will now have a reason to visit Dubai. The world now salutes the vision and courage shown by the leaders of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates in this special time in facing all challenges and turning challenges into blessings. About 3-5% of people visiting Expo 2020 are expected to revisit Dubai or plan to make Dubai their home after Expo.

In 1851, the Crystal Palace was the centerpiece of the Great Exhibition in London – the first World’s Fair. It celebrated the man-made industrial marvels of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, content, and a theme, “All Nations Industry,” were combined to create a grand idea of ​​nations meeting nations in shared technological and business progress. In recent years, World Expo participants, including governments, international organizations and businesses, have come together to find solutions to universal challenges and to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand and their nations. as tourist, trade and investment destinations.

World Expos are organized under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organization responsible for overseeing and regulating international expositions (“Expos”) and promoting their core values ​​of education, innovation and cooperation. Today, four types of exhibitions are organized under the auspices of the BIE: universal exhibitions, specialized exhibitions, horticultural exhibitions and the Triennale di Milano.