Kaspersky has announced that it has received a Regional Headquarters License (RHQ) in Saudi Arabia from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Investment.

This license shows Kaspersky’s commitment to improving cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia’s economic sectors and strengthens the company’s presence in the country.

The main objective of the Regional Headquarters is to provide comprehensive support for the operational activities of the Kaspersky group of companies in the MENA region, ensuring sustainable business development in Saudi Arabia and the region.

The focus will be on strategic development, threat research and analysis, and the delivery of region-specific services such as Managed Detection and Response (MDR), powered by the Saudi-based SOC, and ICS CERT.

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Kaspersky operates in 200 countries and territories with 34 offices in over 30 countries. In 2022, Kaspersky opened a new office in Riyadh, adding Saudi Arabia to its ever-expanding worldwide network of offices. In 2023, Kaspersky opened its first Transparency Center in Riyadh to serve the entire Middle East region.

With several ongoing and planned initiatives to ensure future readiness with a digital-first approach, the adoption of technologies like 5G, IoT, and artificial intelligence by the Kingdom will potentially increase cybercriminal interest in targeted attacks and cyber threats.

To support the Kingdom’s efforts to build a strong cybersecurity infrastructure, Kaspersky launched the Cyber Generation training and internship program in Saudi Arabia in 2023.

The educational program is designed to increase cybersecurity awareness, enable skills and knowledge sharing, and defend against evolving cyber threats.

Andrey Efremov, Kaspersky’s Chief Business Development Officer, said, “This is a significant milestone on our roadmap for growth in Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom is rapidly transforming into an economic hub for the region.”

He added “I am very proud that we are part of this transformation, and that our business in the Kingdom is developing successfully. This step will further enhance our ability to better serve customers, partners, and organizations across the region.”

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The Middle East Cybersecurity Market has been growing over the last few years hitting its peak growth rate, expected to reach $23.4 billion by 2028 at an Annual Growth Rate of 9.6%.

A report by MarketsandMarkets has shown that this growth rate has been assisted by the increase in digital transformation initiatives and the adoption of cloud technology.

It was also noted that the Middle East has a growing startup scene with an increasing demand for cybersecurity due to the surge in cyber threats the region has been seeing.

Countries in the Middle East have also implemented heavy-mandated cybersecurity measures.

The digitalization (digital transformation) that companies in the Middle East have been incorporating and are open to, amplified the need for additional cybersecurity and cyber-insurance, establishing it as the fastest-growing section of the Cybersecurity market in the Middle East.

The rising demand for this market has led to recent developments such as:

• Cisco incorporated new business metrics into Cloud Observability on Amazon Web Services, enhancing the platform’s ability to provide business context.
• Trend Micro launched and deployed CTOne, a standalone business that aims to enhance 5G network security.
• IBM has launched a new cloud service that provides data management and protection for hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

In the ongoing digital transformation projects of sectors such as banking, healthcare, energy, and government services, robust cybersecurity solutions are necessary to safeguard digital assets, enable the adoption of secure clouds, and ensure regulatory compliance. The increasing demand for cybersecurity goods and services has emerged as a result.

MarketsandMarkets is an intelligence and market research platform that was recognized by Forbes as America’s best management consulting firms in 2023.

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Focus areas may include legislative and regulatory solutions, deterrence, prevention and responses to cyberattacks for related cyber fields, awareness-building and educational programs, along with scientific and technological research and development.

The MoU is intended to facilitate the exchange of best practices, knowledge and experience between the two parties, as well as establish programs to raise awareness and build local capacity in the field of cybersecurity.

The MoU was signed at the GITEX global technology show in Dubai by Mohammed Mohaisen, president and CEO, Honeywell Middle East and North Africa, and His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity for the UAE Government. Honeywell becomes the first international industrial automation company to be invited by the UAE’s Cybersecurity Council to participate in a strategic cybersecurity MoU of this nature.

“The UAE is a leader in the fight against cybercrime. We remain committed to investing in the most advanced technologies and services available to help safeguard the country’s infrastructure from the growing range and capabilities of cyber-threats that exist today,” H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti said. “This MoU with Honeywell underscores this commitment, and we look forward to exploring new opportunities and synergies to advance our cybersecurity capabilities and competencies, and to extend our culture of cybersecurity awareness and excellence across sectors.”

Cyberattacks focused on OT systems can be a significant source of unplanned downtime, with estimates that such unplanned downtime represents over a trillion dollars in lost revenue for the industrial and critical infrastructure sectors.

“For more than two decades, Honeywell has built its position as one of the world’s leading providers of enterprise-wide OT cybersecurity solutions, with a portfolio across the entire OT cybersecurity lifecycle including real-time monitoring and threat detection, penetration testing and analysis and training solutions for virtually any sector,” added Honeywell’s Mohaisen. “We are honored to sign this MoU with the UAE Ministry of Cybersecurity, which reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the cybersecurity resilience and readiness of the UAE. As a trusted partner of the UAE for more than 60 years, Honeywell is proud to leverage its global experience and local capabilities to support the country’s role as a leading hub for digital innovation and transformation.”

Honeywell has established local cybersecurity capabilities in the UAE, including a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Lab in Dubai, which was inaugurated in 2018 as the first of its kind in the region. The center provides customers with access to advanced cybersecurity training, demonstration, testing, and product development facilities, as well as a team of certified cybersecurity professionals.

In May 2023, Honeywell announced the release of Honeywell Forge Cybersecurity+ | Cyber Insights, which is designed to assist customers in improving the availability, reliability and safety of their industrial control systems and operations. Cyber Insights is designed to integrate information from multiple OT data sources to provide customers with actionable insights into identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threats, which assist with compliance strategy management and reduction of overall cybersecurity risks.

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H.E. Dr. Mohamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity, UAE Government and H.E. Shahab Issa Abu Shahab, Director General, Advanced Technology Research Council, signed the agreement on the sidelines of GITEX GLOBAL 2023, currently underway at the Dubai World Trade Centre, in the presence of senior representatives of the two entities.

Recognizing the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a double-edged sword, the entities resolved to make the world a safer place through collaborating in  the cryptography and cybersecurity fields.

Within the scope of the wide-ranging agreement, both councils will rollout a raft of initiatives – from cryptographic migration and deployments, educational programs that build awareness, to jointly conducting R&D on cryptographic and privacy preserving technologies. The synergy between UAE CSC and ATRC includes operational deployments, cooperation, deterrence, prevention, and responding to cyber-attacks.

Both entities are required to actively participate in mutual training workshops and programs, organized by each other, to collaboratively oversee the governance of cryptography and its technical processes in alignment with national laws. Together, they will work towards the development of comprehensive national encryption standards, fostering cooperation and ensuring compliance with legal frameworks.

H.E. Dr. Mohamad Al Kuwaiti said: “In line with our remit, the UAE Cyber Security Council looks forward to the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded partners from all sectors to safeguard federal entities, and other organizations and individuals from cyber threats. We fully appreciate that technology today is a great leveller, and that innovation needs to be a national priority. We drive innovation through our networks with entities, nations, and governments locally and around the world.”

H.E. Shahab Issa Abu Shahab stated: “As a research and development entity, the Advanced Technology Research Council is looking forward to the partnership with the UAE Cyber Security Council to work on innovation and policies. Together, we are dedicated to crafting robust cryptographic and cybersecurity frameworks that will create a lasting positive impact, safeguarding the digital future for all.”

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