Security Advisor Middle East – September 2020

The September 2020 edition of Security Advisor Middle East arrives at a moment when the region’s cybersecurity market is on a steep upward curve. Projections from ResearchandMarkets, cited in the issue’s editorial, put the Middle East cybersecurity market at $15.6 billion in 2020, climbing to $29.9 billion by 2025. The surge in remote work and rapid digital adoption has opened new vulnerabilities — and this issue tackles them head-on.

Cover Story: Cybereason’s Offensive Advantage

CEO and co-founder Lior Div sits down for the cover interview to explain how Cybereason’s offensive and operative approach is transforming cybersecurity strategies. The conversation explores the company’s journey, its diverse and inclusive culture, and the mindset that helps enterprises gain an edge against adversaries.

Business-Aligned Security: Closing the Confidence Gap

Tenable regional director Maher Jadallah addresses a pressing problem: only four in ten security leaders can answer ‘How secure or at risk are we?’ with high confidence. Drawing on a Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Tenable, the feature outlines why holistic visibility, real versus theoretical risk prioritisation, and business metrics are essential for a security leader to become truly business-aligned.

Phishing, Threat Intelligence, and the Human Factor

Mimecast’s Werno Gevers shares findings from the company’s State of Email Security report, highlighting how increased anxiety around COVID-19 made users more susceptible to phishing and social engineering. Cyware discusses how organisations can extract strategic value from threat intelligence, while news items cover Mimecast’s SAFE Phish live simulation tool and McAfee’s COVID-19 Threat Report, which documented a 688% increase in PowerShell malware.

Surveillance Storage and Network Edge

As AI- and 4K-enabled smart video cameras become mainstream, Seagate’s SkyHawk AI hard drives are positioned as the storage backbone for demanding surveillance workloads. The issue also reports on Hikvision’s $3.475 billion revenue in H1 2020 and Fortinet’s acquisition of OPAQ Networks to strengthen its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) portfolio.

Skills, Learning, and the Road Ahead

SecureLink’s partnership with Circadence introduces Project Ares, a gamified cyber-learning platform that helps professionals build hands-on skills. Editor Adelle Geronimo’s note underscores the importance of gathering information to adapt and stay protected in the post-pandemic threat landscape. For CISOs, security managers, and IT leaders across the Middle East, this issue offers practical insights, vendor updates, and strategic perspectives to help navigate an evolving digital world.