expert
OPINION environment to mine cryptocurrency. The client wasn’ t even aware because operations weren’ t disrupted – until the bill arrived.
This is where our Network Attack Discovery Tool helps. It’ s designed to detect these stealthy intrusions – behavioural anomalies, unusual eastwest traffic, privilege escalations – before damage is done. We’ ve seen it detect threat actors who have been present in systems for over five years, silently harvesting data or selling access on the Dark Web.
We’ ve also found that, on average, attackers take just five days to gain full administrative access once inside. So, the response window is small. Early detection is everything.
How is threat hunting evolving in the Middle East, and what challenges hinder early threat detection?
The biggest hurdle is human capital. You can invest in the most advanced tools and platforms, but they’ re ineffective without skilled analysts to interpret the data and make the right decisions.
There’ s a global skills gap in cybersecurity and the Middle East is no exception. We need more trained professionals who understand how to use tools and think like attackers, correlate complex threat patterns and respond under pressure.
What’ s encouraging is that many organisations here are starting to understand this and are investing in training and capacity-building. We need partnerships with universities, continuous upskilling programmes and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
How does MENA’ s cybersecurity maturity compare globally, and where can it improve?
The region is on a very promising trajectory. The UAE has shown remarkable foresight in implementing
Fixing vulnerabilities in the early stages is more secure and vastly more cost-effective.
national cybersecurity strategies, setting up regulatory bodies and promoting best practices.
There’ s room for growth in operational execution – things like incident response readiness, red teaming capabilities and cross-sector collaboration – but the fundamentals are being implemented.
We also see an opportunity to enhance regional collaboration – sharing threat intelligence across borders, harmonising standards and learning from one another’ s experiences.
What were your main goals and expectations for GISEC 2025?
At GISEC this year, we showcased some advanced live demos – one of which demonstrated how a laptop can be accessed without knowing the password using a fault injection technique. We also run hands-on workshops on DMA attacks and other cutting-edge threats.
We see GISEC as a place where professionals can speak to professionals. It’ s not just about products – it’ s about building the community, sharing what works and collectively raising the bar for cybersecurity across the region.
We’ ve also found that, on average, attackers take just five days to gain full administrative access once inside. So, the response window is small. Early detection is everything.
WWW. INTELLIGENTCISO. COM 43