Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

The cybersecurity landscape of the UAE is very strong as the country has made significant investment in the sector to counter cyber attacks, said Sertan Selcuk, Vice President for METAP & CIS, OPSWAT.

Speaking to Gulf Today at GISEC Global 2024, he added, “the GCC region is investing billions of dollar in latest technologies to modernise their security systems.”

OPSWAT, a global leader in Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) cybersecurity solutions has participated at the region’s leading security event, GISEC Global 2024, under the theme “Protecting the Pulse of Industry 4.0.”

Selcuk further said, “Our company is operating in the region since 2017. We have offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and helping organization in the region to safeguard their security digital assets.”

About the OPSWAT’s regional customers, he explained,“ We are providing service to various Industries in the region. We have partnership with government entities, oil and gas sector, financial and industrial institutions etc.”

The company reiterated its commitment to the region and the importance of safeguarding the interconnected systems and technologies driving the fourth industrial revolution.

OPSWAT experts discussed how the company’s solutions are expressly designed for the unique cybersecurity challenges posed by the convergence of IT and operational technology (OT).

Sertan Selcuk said, “Industry 4.0 throws down the gauntlet to any organization that runs an OT setup because the breaking down of walls between IT and OT has exposed critical infrastructure to a range of attack vectors.” “But at OPSWAT, backed by a process-driven approach, we stress the importance of cyber resilience more than just cybersecurity — we are focused on enabling our customers to continue operations in the face of evolving threats.”

At GISEC, OPSWAT showcased its solutions at the OPSWAT CIP Mobile Lab. Solutions on display and available for demo were powered by OPSWAT’s MetaDefender platform and support storage security, supply chain security, secure managed file transfer, peripheral and removable media protection, access and endpoint security, email security, OT security, cross domain security and more.

“GISEC Global 2024 attendees have witnessed firsthand how OPSWAT’s solutions secure critical infrastructure, as our experts offered practical insights into safeguarding vital systems and networks,” said Selcuk.

Additionally, delegates toured OPSWAT’s Nuclear Plant Model Reactor, a display that underscores the company’s established expertise in securing sensitive environments like nuclear power plants. The OPSWAT stand featured two demo sessions daily over the three-day event. The nuclear power plant demo, for example, featured practical applications of the OPSWAT IT/OT platform deployment in a real-world scenario. Each demo has been specially designed to reflect the challenges endemic to GCC critical networks and infrastructures, and to showcase OPSWAT regional use cases and success stories for both IT and OT environments.

Alongside its product showcase, OPSWAT further highlighted its ongoing campaign to bridge the regional cyber-skills gap. The company used the event to raise awareness and interest in the OPSWAT Scholarship Program and the OPSWAT Academy, which signed a memorandum of understanding with CyberSecured India at a special event during GISEC Global 2024.

“OPSWAT takes the cyber-skills gap very seriously,” commented Irfan Shakeel, VP of Training and Certifications at OPSWAT. “That is why we recently invested $10 million in our scholarship program. We are committed to increasing the number of certified CIP professionals in the region and across the globe.”

OPSWAT also used GISEC Global 2024 to build strategic partnerships and alliances, highlighted by the planned signing of an MoU between the company and CPX, an official OPSWAT reseller. The MoU represents a milestone in the strategic partnership between the two entities, and aims to bring cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions to businesses, enhancing their security posture and resilience.

“Our participation at GISEC is driven by our strong commitment to delivering end-to-end IT/OT cybersecurity solutions and establishing our brand as a trusted authority,” Selcuk added. “OPSWAT is rapidly becoming the preferred choice for organizations and technology partners in need of comprehensive IT/OT cybersecurity solutions. Together, we can fortify what matters most and protect what must not fail.”