UAE responding to cyber threats

Abu Dhabi - "The UAE, in terms of security, is pretty good. There is recognition. They are willing to do more about handling the challenges."

The UAE is evolving and seriously looking to tackle the challenges of cyber security, an official said on the sidelines of the RSA Conference - the world's leading information security conference and exposition - in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
"The UAE, in terms of security, is pretty good. There is recognition. They are willing to do more about handling the challenges. They are spending so much on industry. If we look at stats, the UAE in 2014 spent $5.7 billion, but by 2019 they will be spending $9.56 billion. That is a 13 per cent rise in term of index, so there is recognition," RSA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) advanced cyber defence practice director Azeem Aleem said.
"But are they evolving with the threat? They are not advancing," Aleem noted.
"It's evolving but they are still using traditional tools. Criminals are now very specifically picking targets. They are evolving whereas we are not. There is no skills sector problem. We can't have one fix-solution for all problems," he added.
"We are seeing the industry control system in the Middle East is vulnerable. We have seen evidence in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine," Aleem added.
The conference, held in partnership with UAE National Electronic Security Authority (NESA), saw five keynote speeches, 22 track sessions and over 35 companies showcasing their latest capabilities.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE