Reed Exhibitions has confirmed that the second edition of Infosecurity Middle East, the Gulf’s specialist event securing vital government and critical data against cyber threats, will once again run as a co-located event on the side-lines of the eighth International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience, ISNR Abu Dhabi 2018.

The announcement came during the participation of representatives from Reed Exhibitions Middle East at Infosecurity Europe, the parent event of Infosecurity Middle East that took place from 6th to 8th June 2017 in London.

Set to run from 6th to 8th March 2018 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, Infosecurity Middle East will address cyber aspects of homeland security markets through featuring keynote speeches, tech talks and dedicated forum discussions.

The 2018 edition will include an exclusive chief information security officer, CISO, roundtable. Providing access for international companies to the regional market and boosting the position of local firms, the event is set to offer a global platform connecting government bodies and information security officers, professionals and buyers with the most innovative solution providers and manufacturers.

Meline Eolmezian-Soulie, Group Exhibition Director of the Security and Safety Portfolio at Reed Exhibitions, said, "We are proud to have enlisted early support for the event from two key industry players, the International Information System Security Certification Consortium and the Global Security Network."

She added, "Promoting the world’s largest innovative technologies and solutions for a safer connected world, ISNR Abu Dhabi 2018 will explore the future landscape of homeland security and resilience within our borderless and cyber-enabled vulnerable world. Thus, we are delighted to co-locate Infosecurity Middle East 2018 with the exhibition for the second year running."

Speaking on the prevailing surge in cybersecurity crimes, she said, "With the international community having suffered multiple high-profile and malicious cyberattacks, events such as Infosecurity Middle East are more critical than ever before. They offer ideal platforms for public and private entities to forge synergies towards implementing stronger and more responsive digital security frameworks. Currently, the first line of defence, and the most crucial, is prevention, stopping cyberattacks before they can disrupt or damage security systems. We must turn challenges into opportunities and learn from past incidents so that we can prepare to face future cyber attackers head-on."

This year, the Global Information Security Workforce Study surveyed over 19,000 professionals from the cybersecurity profession, projecting a shortfall of 1.8 million cybersecurity workers worldwide by 2022, if current hiring trends continue.

In the Middle East and Africa alone, 67 percent of respondents admitted that they felt their departments consisted of too few information security workers, with 40 percent saying that this was down to a lack of qualified personnel.

Organised jointly by the UAE Ministry of Interior and Reed Exhibitions, ISNR Abu Dhabi 2018 will host 600 exhibitors from 55 countries in addition to over 200 government buyers and delegation members, and is set to welcome 23,000 local and international attendees. Apart from Infosecurity Middle East, the event will include the second editions of the Major Events Safety and Security Summit, ME3S 2018, and the Emergency Response and Disaster Prevention, EmDi, trade show.

Source: WAM