Cyber Security Council Joins GISEC 2023 to Address Cyber Threats

 

The UAE Government's Cyber Security Council and Jessica Global 2023 have issued a statement calling for a more proactive approach to cybersecurity. The statement, titled "GISEC First Strategy: Attack is the Best Means of Defense," was co-authored by Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, and Dr. Aloysius Chiang, Chief Cyber Security Officer at Huawei in the Middle East and Central Asia.

The statement warns that successful cyberattacks generate huge amounts of money for their perpetrators, and this is the main motive for the escalation of cybercrime. It also highlights the fact that ransomware attacks are expected to continue on a large scale this year and warns companies against excluding exposure to cyberattacks.

According to the statement, it is time to take a more proactive approach to protect our information rather than waiting for attacks to occur to deal with them. The COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical instability, and the decline in the pace of globalization have all increased global tensions and sparked a "global cyber pandemic amid the acceleration of digital transformation." The UAE has not been immune to these changes, as the pandemic has imposed an urgent need to accelerate the path of digital transformation, which "paved the way for the consolidation of the country's position as a reliable digital center in the region."

The GISEC First Strategy urges senior information security officials to take a proactive approach to face cyber challenges based on the ineffectiveness of the traditional reactive model. The statement cites a statistic that only 19% of global cybersecurity officials are confident in their organization's resilience in the face of cyberattacks. It stresses the need for more efficient defensive methods, especially since digital transformation is expected to pump about $100 trillion into the global economy by 2025, according to estimates by the World Economic Forum.

The statement from the UAE Government's Cyber Security Council and Jessica Global 2023 highlights the urgent need for a more proactive approach to cybersecurity. It warns against complacency and emphasizes the importance of taking cyber threats seriously. The GISEC First Strategy provides a framework for senior information security officials to take a more proactive approach to face cyber challenges and to ensure their organization's resilience in the face of cyberattacks.