Kuwaiti CISOs urged to 'level up' in battle against 'cyber troublemakers'

KUWAIT: Microsoft yesterday introduced Kuwaiti cyber-security professionals to the world's foremost industry experts, in the second edition of its CISO Executive Series, designed to support chief information security officers in their fight against malicious digital actors.

This year's event, called "A Hacker's Guide to Security Strategy", was held at the JW Marriott, Kuwait City, where the country's CISOs networked with peers, and heard in-depth analysis on the current and future threat landscape from a world-renowned cyber-security specialist. The summit comes amid continuing and frequent global media reports on high-profile attacks involving private- and public-sector organizations. Recent years have seen a marked rise in targeted and sophisticated attacks, as businesses try to figure out how to secure their digital estates.

"You can barely turn your head nowadays without being confronted by a statistic or scenario that confirms the importance of a CISO's role," said Cyril Voisin, Executive Security Advisor for France, Italy, the Middle East and Africa at Microsoft's Enterprise Cybersecurity Group. "Last year, for example, it was found that spear-phishing campaigns had targeted more than 400 businesses every day, at a cost of $3 billion to the private sector over the previous three years. Kuwaiti organizations need to understand that the global threat landscape is evolving, and adjust their security posture accordingly."

"Microsoft's CISO Executive series encourages organizations to ask, 'What are cyber-attackers likely to go after, once they have breached our corporate perimeter?' The answer to that question is the start of a coherent, in-house security strategy. Coupled with the power of the intelligent cloud and the perspective of seasoned White Hat experts like those heard here yesterday, organizations should be in great shape to take the fight to the cyber-criminals." He added.

A live survey of Kuwait-based PCs, conducted by Microsoft throughout 2015, showed a fourth-quarter peak of 30 percent of computers experiencing malware of some kind, compared with a worldwide average of about 21 percent. Around 4.5 percent of monitored machines faced infections that had to be cleaned, against a global average of 1.7 percent. The data suggests Kuwait, like many Gulf nations, has higher-than-average rates for both encounters and infections.

Microsoft's innovations, such as Microsoft 365 and the Azure cloud, are built from the ground up with industry-leading, AI-driven protection incorporated into every layer. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit, and 24-hour event-remediation services are provided by a dedicated team of experts.

Also, speaking at the Kuwait CISO Executive event, Paula Januszkiewicz, CEO and Founder of CQURE Inc, and a world-renowned cyber-security expert said "As the game intensifies, it's time to level up, and venues such as Microsoft's Kuwait CISO Executive forum are the ideal way to do it. Cyber troublemakers are devious and creative. Kuwaiti businesses and government agencies have to think like hackers, to anticipate their attack vectors and behaviors; only then can they secure what matters most: their precious digital assets."

Januszkiewicz stressed the importance of upskilling security professionals to meet the changing needs of the digital era. "According to industry statistics, by 2019 we will need 6 million security professionals, but only 4 to 5 million of them will have the required qualifications," she said. "Hence, it is also very important to address this gap, by leveling up."

The Microsoft CISO executive forum concluded with key takeaways from all perspectives of cyber security, and proved to be a strong platform for security professionals from across Kuwait to network with peers and engage with subject matter experts.