To mark World Backup Day, GISEC Global 2024 has gathered insights from leading cybersecurity professionals on the importance of securing valuable digital assets.
In honour of World Backup Day, which falls on 31 March 2024, GISEC Global is gathering insights from stand-out speakers and exhibitors around the importance of backing up sensitive information and the various back-up options available to both individuals and business.
As an international nexus for the cybersecurity community – the Middle East and Africa’s largest and most impactful cybersecurity event – GISEC Global 2024 will welcome over 750 of the world’s foremost cybersecurity companies, as well as 350-plus international speakers and 1,000 ethical hackers from more than 130 countries.
Dr Aloysius Cheang, Chief Security Officer, Huawei Middle East & Central Asia, which is returning as an exhibitor for the fourth year, said: “This exhibition delivers the best in relevancy, forward-thinking, and innovation when it comes to programming. GISEC Global and the UAE together is the formula for building a trusted digital oasis in the heart of the Arab world.”
Hosted from 23-25 April at Dubai World Trade Centre, the super-connector aims to provide a platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and cross-sector collaboration. High on the agenda for the 13th edition of the exhibition is the significance of backing up data – both as a precautionary measure and as a solution to support with recovery in the event of a cyberattack.
Data backups are essential to a robust cybersecurity strategy:
As the Middle East continues to increase its dependence on technology, backup processes are becoming an essential component of a robust cybersecurity strategy. Amid the growing threat of cyberattacks and the rising financial and reputational risk associated with data loss, businesses and individuals alike are needing to proactively secure their valuable assets and sensitive information.
“In the Middle East, organisations are very actively engaged in digital transformation, which leads to an expansion of the surface that cybercriminals use to attack,” said Alexey Lukatsky, Managing Director and Cyber Security Business Consultant at Positive Technologies.
Positive Technologies has identified that ransomware takes first place among all attacks, which leaves businesses with two options: either invest huge amounts of money into cybersecurity or build a system that is prepared for the failure of security barriers.
“Backup is the only way for us to protect ourselves from data loss and paying large sums of ransom to criminals. Although it’s not exactly a cybersecurity tool, backups seriously complement the security mechanisms that we implement – both in organisations and in our personal lives,” Lukatsky added.
A rise in data breaches is being met with the emergence of new backup solutions:
By consistently ensuring backups are completed and up-to-date, businesses and individuals will be better equipped to mitigate rising threats to their cybersecurity, such as ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and data breaches designed to weaken barriers.
According to Dr. Samir Abu Tahoun, Group CEO of Security Management Technology Group, regular backups ensure that organisations can restore their systems without paying a ransom and provide a fallback in case of accidental deletion or corruption of data, whether due to human error or insider threats.
“Regular backups are essential to providing resilience and continuity in the face of various threats,” he said.
As awareness around data backup grows, several emerging solutions are gaining traction in the market, offering alternatives to traditional methods of data storage, such as using a hard drive. Perhaps most popular is cloud storage, which effectively balances the increasing volume of data and the cost of storing it.
Cloud backup offers scalability, flexibility, and automated backups, but there is a risk associated with cloud companies ceasing to operate or leaving the market – which has already happened in countries like China. As a result, hybrid backup, which combines on-premises storage with cloud storage, is becoming more popular.
“Some organisations are also starting to explore Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) and Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) solutions, which offer managed backup and recovery services hosted by third-party providers,” said Abu Tahoun. “These emerging backup solutions leverage advanced technologies such as encryption, deduplication, and artificial intelligence to enhance data protection and streamline backup processes.”
Going back to basics is the key to long-term cybersecurity:
World Backup Day serves as a timely reminder of the importance of securing data – whether personal or corporate. It is also a great opportunity for individuals and businesses to reflect on their cybersecurity awareness and implement best practices to protect their virtual assets.
“I would advise ensuring that existing back-up systems cover all places where valuable information is stored, and I would also try to reduce the interval at which backups are carried out,” said Lukatsky.
As for individuals, Alexey recommends enabling data backups across devices and checking regularly – once every month or quarter – that the backups are being created.
As the world continues to navigate increasing reliance on technology and the need for innovative security measures, Dr Aloysius Cheang, Chief Security Officer, Huawei Middle East & Central Asia, offered some words of wisdom: “In lieu of new paradigms and challenges, it is important to return back to basics and do things right from the beginning. We should stop thinking cybersecurity is all about threats and vulnerabilities – we must delink it from a technical perspective, viewing it instead as a critical business enabler. We must embrace risks and learn to use them to our advantage. For example, how AI can be deployed to put cybersecurity on the front foot and enjoy multiplier effects that truly raise the bar and the real perceived value of cybersecurity to business.”
About GISEC Global:
GISEC Global, Middle East and Africa’s largest and most impactful cybersecurity event, will return to Dubai World Trade Centre for its 13th edition taking place from 23-25 April 2024. Following the monumental success of 2023, the super-connector event for the region’s cybersecurity industry will bring together over 20,000 attendees, 750 exhibiting brands and 350-plus speakers hailing from over 130 countries. GISEC Global stands as the unrivalled platform for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. More information: http://www.gisec.ae
About Dubai World Trade Centre:
With a vision to make Dubai the world’s leading destination for all major exhibitions, conferences and events, DWTC has evolved from being the regional forerunner of the fast-growing MICE industry into a multi-dimensional business catalyst, focusing on Venues, Events and Real Estate Management. Complementary to the primary service offerings are a range of value-added services from media/advertising, engineering and technical consultation and wedding planning, security, and hospitality.
