C-suite executives glaze over technology talk and then recoil at budget discussions

Feature
May 23, 2020 7:06 am
Dr Moataz Bin Ali, Vice President, Trend Micro, Middle East and North Africa.

The Middle East’s move to hybrid cloud is among the biggest drivers of business growth. As cyber-threats continue to increase in volume, variety, and velocity, Middle East organisations need to simultaneously protect their on-premise and cloud-based infrastructures, and need ensure the protection of their migration of data to the cloud. One of the most pressing issues identified in our 2019 security predictions is that modern hybrid data center and evolving endpoint, end-user access and mobility including partners and third parties that connect to the network, are demanding a lot more from IT security teams in 2019. 

The IT security skill set shortage is more pronounced, and augmenting existing expertise with intelligent, efficient, and multilayered security technologies is more critical.

Middle East organisations’ C-suite need to understand that cyberattacks are a business risk, and that leaders at the highest levels need to take accountability. 

One of the biggest business challenges is that C-suite executives glaze over technology talk then recoil at budget discussions. As a result, organisations need to work with channel partners to conduct cybersecurity awareness programs across every employee level to ensure security preparedness, and then deploy the industry-leading solutions that can predict, prevent, and mitigate cyber-attacks when they do occur.

CISOs should be focused on stopping cyber criminals in their tracks by closing off holes in an organisation’s IT infrastructure, rather than on managing cyber-attacks. CISOs should have experience in running vulnerability scans, performing web application security assessments, upgrading and updating systems, and responding to threats.

CISOs should also work with C-suite executives, other departments, and external stakeholders to discuss IT budgets, cyber security strategies, and how to deal with breaches when they occur. CISOs should also be team-builders of high-performance IT security professionals, understand business and IT objectives, and stay ahead of the industry curve.

Secure digital transformation is based on having security software that can address the full range of ever-changing cyber-threats, now and in the future, and across on-premise, public cloud, and hybrid cloud environments. Instead of using separate, siloed security solutions that do not share information, Trend Micro’s XGen security strategy provides a cross-generational blend of threat defense techniques.

Trend Micro announced the availability of Deep Security as a Service on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, and the extension of network protection to the cloud on the AWS Marketplace.

Trend Micro held the Cyber Defense Challenge with the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority to strengthen the protection of Abu Dhabi organisations’ servers and hybrid cloud data centers and to further enhance cybersecurity infrastructure, one of the main pillars of Abu Dhabi’s digital transformation agenda.

Trend Micro announced the first 10 Saudi nationals graduated from its 2-year-long Saudi Arabia Graduate Academy for Cyber Security Program, fueling high-value technology and cybersecurity jobs.

Dr Moataz Bin Ali, Vice President, Trend Micro, Middle East and North Africa.
Dr Moataz Bin Ali, Vice President, Trend Micro, Middle East and North Africa.

Highlights

  • Partners and third parties that connect to the network, are demanding a lot more from IT security teams in 2019. 
  • The IT security skills shortage is pronounced, and existing expertise with intelligent, security technologies is more critical.
  • Middle East C-suite needs to understand that cyberattacks are a business risk, and that leaders at the highest levels need to take accountability. 
  • The IT security skill set shortage is more pronounced, and augmenting existing expertise with intelligent, efficient, and multilayered security technologies is more critical.
  • Middle East C-suite need to understand that cyberattacks are a business risk, and at the highest levels need to take accountability. 
  • C-suite executives glaze over technology talk then recoil at budget discussions. 
  • Organisations need to work with channel partners to conduct cybersecurity awareness programs across every employee level.
  • CISOs should be focused on stopping cyber criminals in their tracks by closing off holes in an organisation’s IT infrastructure.

 

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