Cisco Systems is set to play a key role at the upcoming 'GCC Digital Security Forum' as a strategic sponsor during the two-day event being hosted by Meeza, a Qatar Foundation joint venture firm.

The event will be held from February 4 to 5 at Saint Regis Hotel in collaboration with Al-Iktissad Wal-Amaal- Group.

The forum will be a meeting ground for experts to shed light on topics such as activities and institutions most vulnerable to penetration from Digital criminals, classical sources of threats and digital intrusions, in addition to the cost of digital crimes on today’s economies, said the organisers.

"Today, we live in a connected world with complex security challenges. Technological innovations are fundamentally changing the way people live, work, play, share information and communicate with each other" they stated.

Trends like Cloud computing; the sharp increase in mobile traffic due the surge in the number of mobile Internet-connected devices; video becoming increasingly mainstream and enterprises in the Middle East increasingly feeling the impact of the ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) mean that now is the time for enterprises to transform their IT model to counteract the ever increasing security challenges that are now a direct consequence of the changing IT landscape, they added.

According to Cisco’s latest annual security report there is a worldwide shortage of nearly a million skilled security professionals which is impacting organizations’ abilities to monitor and secure networks, while overall vulnerabilities and threats reached their highest levels since 2000.

As of October 2013, cumulative annual alert totals increased 14 per cent year over year from 2012.

"Enterprises in the Middle East need to act immediately to put effective security practices into place in order to protect their assets, information, and themselves online," remarked Den Sullivan, the head of Enterprise and Architectures for Cisco, MEA and Russia.

"With the threats facing cyber security evolving all the time, it is important that businesses change their mind-set in security to help ensure that their networks and vital corporate information continue to be protected," he noted.

“Ultimately, it is important to understand that the security challenges we face today require a solution, and not just a product. IT must work directly with management and employees to create and implement relevant, flexible, user-friendly policies that can be practiced and enforced throughout all levels of the organization. With criminals ready to leverage an arsenal of techniques to carry out their attacks, we must work quickly to implement cyber security solutions to combat and prevent attacks in the future,” added Sullivan.

Meeza CEO Ghada El Rassi said the forum has attracted an array of speakers that include ministers, heads of regulatory bodies, as well as leaders in regional and international organizations from the telecom, banking and financial sectors.

"We are also expecting high caliber delegates from as many as 15 countries across the region," she stated.

"This only proves the overwhelming importance that digital security is playing in our lives today and in the future. We need to get together to enhance our cooperation and create stronger strategies to mitigate the risks and overcome the perils that the digital arena bring," he added.

Faysal Abou Zaki, the deputy CEO of Al-Iktissad- Wal-Aamal Group, said the forum is the first step in a series of ongoing discourse between public and private sector, and joint programs for dealing with digital attacks.-TradeArabia News Service