Annual Kingdom Cyber Security Meeting concludes 4th edition

The Kingdom Cyber Security Meeting has successfully concluded its 4th edition at the Mövenpick Hotel Riyadh. The event hosted more than 200 leading regional and international information security and cyber-defense experts.
They deliberated on issues that continue to challenge the business leaders of today and forces them to rethink their defense strategy to counter the threat of cyber-attacks. As cybercriminals increasingly profit from brazen attacks, the corporation’s cyber-risk strategy is under the microscope.
The event is a landmark annual event in Saudi Arabia that witnesses key government agencies and major stakeholders collaborate on issues like cyber-security governance and adoption of recognized information security frameworks.
Saudi Arabia has made substantial progress toward addressing cyber-threats.
Asif Savvas, partner at Simeio Solutions, said: “The Kingdom has recently initiated a number of digital initiatives to deliver services to its citizens. Simeio therefore sees the need for these services to be powered by one digital identity, so more of them can be delivered online.
“A number of public sector entities and banks across the Middle East have also been a target of hacks. This has affected institutions financially and eroded customer trust. We see our customers investing more and more in both cybersecurity and digital identity,” he added.
However, there is still much ground to be covered, all of which will require increased action and prioritization by government and businesses leaders in the region.
“Spain considers that ICTs provide immense opportunities and continue to grow in importance for the international community. However, there are disturbing trends representing risks for international peace and security.
Countries should therefore cooperate effectively in order to prevent harmful practices in cyberspace,” said Ricardo Mor Solá, ambassador at large for cybersecurity at the ministry of foreign affairs and cooperation in Madrid, Spain.
“The Kingdom Cyber Security Meeting was an excellent opportunity to explore experiences from Saudi Arabia and other partner countries in the development of public and private partnerships in this area,” he added.
Manhal Musameh, head of IT advisory at KPMG, Saudi Arabia, said: “In a rapidly changing world that is becoming more digitized, it becomes more critical to apply the right measures to protect an organization’s most important assets — that is the information. This is an ongoing holistic effort and should be seen as the responsibility of everyone in the organization.”