Leading companies are showcasing the latest information security solutions that will shape the region’s digital landscape at the all-new Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC) which opened its doors on Monday (June 3) in Dubai.

More than 2,000 visitors are expected to attend the event with 87 companies from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Lebanon, Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, the UK and US, said the event organisers Dubai World Trade Centre.

As the region’s most anticipated platform for the latest information security solutions, GISEC aims to tackle hot button issues on cyber liability risk management, digital economy and post-attack response.

Regional and global experts in cyber security will convene at the GISEC Conference to exchange cutting edge ideas on the most critical issues confronting the Gulf region, said the organisers.

The conference agenda will take a panoramic overview of past, current and future cyber threats and delve into specialised areas from a financial, economic, social and national security standpoint.

Kevin Mitnick, the hacker-turned international cyber security consultant and the keynote speaker at the GISEC Conference, said: "Not only are the number of cyber attacks growing aggressively, they are also growing in sophistication. For example, cyber criminals can now easily buy or rent ‘exploit kits’ on the black market that pinpoint a business’s cyber vulnerabilities so that they can then spread malware."

However, humans are often the weakest link in any corporate security system, which is why it is essential that companies spend more resources inoculating their employees by performing simulated attacks and training their employees on how to resist such intrusions.

“Today, hackers are increasingly turning to techniques such as ‘social engineering’ to deceive employees into revealing sensitive information or performing actions that breach security. Platforms such as GISEC are vital to the region so that companies, government entities, IT professionals and experts can exchange information and discuss the latest information security developments,” Mitnick added.

Trixee Loh, senior VP at DWTC said, "The participation of thought leaders, decision makers, security professionals, government authorities, multinationals and regional companies at GISEC is indicative of the multisectoral commitment to finding sustainable counter-measures against cyber attacks."

"The inaugural GISEC is set to be one of the region’s most vital springboards to unveil the latest innovations in the information security arena as well as play a key role in developing solutions as world and regional experts collectively discuss the pressing issues facing corporations, governments and individuals," he added.

As more companies in the region migrate towards cloud computing, security experts have warned that the surge in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks could threaten companies’ cloud infrastructures if inadequate safeguards are implemented.

Research reveals that in 2012 the number of DDoS attacks multiplied exponentially to well over 120 million cases. This marks a dramatic surge from just 12 months prior, when there were less than 1.6 million such attacks - representing a mammoth growth of 7,535% in just one year. DDoS attacks are one major threat that participating companies at GISEC will keep a close eye on, considering that such attacks have the potential to critically damage cloud infrastructures.

A recent survey by SonicWALL - one of the participants at GISEC - indicates that employees at 68% of all businesses are unable to identify fraudulent attacks on their corporate networks. This gives cyber criminals a lengthy head start in which they can cause massive financial and reputational damages while operating under the radar of the companies’ own IT personnel.

Alongside Kevin Mitnick, regionally and internationally renowned speakers sharing their insights at the GISEC Conference include Curt Aubley of Lockheed Martin; Ahmad Hassan MohdNoor from du; Roberto Diniz of Qatar International Islamic Bank; I. Martinez of the US National Cyber Security Council; Tareque Choudhury representing BT; Muhammad Saleem from the Saudi Ministry of Health and Ayman Al-Issa of Adnoc.-TradeArabia News Service