More than 60 percent of information security professionals in the Middle East are not confident in their company’s preparedness to cope with cybersecurity incidents, according to the latest Global Information Security Workforce Study, highlighted today at the (ISC)² Secure Summit MENA.
(ISC)² is an international nonprofit professional organisation that educates and certifies cybersecurity experts. Developed by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education and Frost & Sullivan, (ISC)²’s eighth biennial study surveyed 19,600 professionals globally, out of which 518 were from the Middle East region.
Lack of qualified professionals, low security awareness and inadequate funding for security initiatives were among the main factors cited by Middle East-based respondents to explain why they feel ill-equipped to manage cyber threats. Forty-three percent of the respondents surveyed said their organizations do not provide enough professional training for their information security workforce. The study also identified data exposure, hacking, cyber terrorism and ransomware as top frontline concerns.
Speaking on the state of cybersecurity in the Middle East at the summit, Adrian Davis, managing director for the EMEA region at (ISC)² and chair of the event, said: “This year has seen some of biggest cybersecurity breaches, from the French presidential election hacks to the WannaCry ransomware that affected more than 10,000 organizations across 150 countries. Cybersecurity is an increasingly significant field of knowledge that has to constantly evolve to keep up with emerging threats, which is why professional communities like (ISC)² have an important role to play.”
Meanwhile, Yves Le Roux, EMEA Advisory Council co-chair and privacy workgroup lead at (ISC)², held a workshop on the concerns, implications and best practices related to the updated EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), slated for implementation in May 2018. Aimed at strengthening and unifying data protection for all EU residents, GDPR also affects Middle East companies doing business in Europe or handling European data.
Le Roux said: “GDPR implementation is a positive move, as its far-reaching impact can help boost data security practices here in the Middle East. Companies in the region can benefit from GDPR compliance and should educate their cybersecurity personnel on the requirements.”
The fourth in a series of five regional events, (ISC)² Secure Summit MENA convenes the region’s professional cybersecurity community to discuss the latest pressing issues and concerns in the field.
