Black Hat Middle East & Africa (MEA) is relocating to the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre, as it looks to record huge growth in floor space, exhibitors, national and industry pavilions, and speakers. Running from November 14-16, this year’s event will take place under the tagline ‘Infosec on the Edge’. Organised by Tahaluf, an Informa Business in partnership with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), Black Hat MEA will be 41 per cent bigger than its 2022 launch edition and has already seen a 119 per cent uplift in early-day visitor registrations.

“Prominent CISOs, C-level executives, IT directors,  and government officials have registered to explore new business opportunities, innovative learning and networking that will set the blueprints for successful preparation against existing and new threats in the new digital era of AI,” said Michael Champion, Chief Executive Officer of Tahaluf, organisers of Black Hat MEA. “With 70 per cent of our 2022 exhibitors having rebooked, we are well on course to beat last year’s launch event outputs, which included more than 30,000 attendees, 182 exhibitors, and more than 250 speakers. This year we are forecasting more than 300 exhibitors from 120 countries, making it the region’s largest cybersecurity event, and the most attended in the world.”

Black Hat MEA 2023 will be an unparalleled knowledge-sharing platform with a speaker cast of more than 300 international experts partaking in a host of interactive workshops, certified training programmes, and a stellar Executive Summit featuring some of the biggest names across the global entertainment, finance, hospitality, aviation, electronics, defence, and FMCG sectors. The confirmed line-up already includes CISOs from Huawei, Netflix, Uber, and Zoom among others.

“These are the experts who protect critical infrastructure and digital assets used en-masse for the good of society and to protect organisations at risk of security breaches from hostile state actors or criminal entities,” added Champion. “Their insights are invaluable to anyone charged with overseeing or developing cybersecurity strategies for organisations across the entire economic and public service ecosystem.”

Expertly curated content will see the speakers scrutinise the most pertinent issues impacting the sector, from generative AI and machine learning to compliance and regulations, identity, and access management. Privacy and data protection, business and risk management, emerging cyber threats, and incident response and recovery will come under the microscope too, alongside talent management and security culture, IoT security and hacking, supply chain risk, and software supply chain, as well as the growing role of women in the cyber sector.

Returning to the stage to discuss these key topics is David B. Cross, Senior Vice President, and Chief Information Security Officer of Oracle SaaS Cloud. “I am very excited to attend and speak again at Blackhat MEA which is an amazing and immersive personal and professional experience for all security business, operations, and engineering leaders. The energy, collaboration and insights gained from my experience from Blackhat MEA 2022 last year is a driver to help take the security community to the next level in this deeply technical and hands forum unlike any other,” said Cross.

Spire Solutions, a strategic partner and long-time exhibitor of the show have identified key security challenges and opportunities to help organizations accelerate growth and will be showcasing an array of solutions focused on big data and cybersecurity.

“Taking part in Black Hat MEA once again gives us unrivalled opportunities to meet customers and partners, drive business objectives and share innovative ideas. As we expand beyond the MENA region, our expertise and critical cybersecurity solutions can support organisations across untapped African regions, optimising security performance and mitigating risks. At Black Hat 2023, we will be showcasing solutions that tackle key security challenges, from cyber threat intelligence to API security and IT & Operations management. In the face of growing cyber threats, we remain committed to empowering government and private sector organisations with proactive and robust cybersecurity measures,” said Sanjeev Walia, Founder and President, Spire Solutions.

The trade show positions itself as a powerhouse of information, products, services, and solutions that inform the wider cybersecurity sector, by bringing in specialists from the biggest brands around the globe. Exhibiting this year is Snap Inc., the enterprise that owns Snapchat, one of the most widely used social media applications with up to 280 million daily active users worldwide. With great power comes great responsibility and the company claims it has a strong commitment to privacy.

“Information Security is a global problem and is not bound by any country or regional borders. I believe it can only be solved with cooperation and open communication between our diverse communities, and Black Hat MEA is a key platform to facilitate these critical discussions and bring together the global infosec ecosystem to find tangible solutions. I am very excited to be a part of the upcoming edition to help foster education and drive awareness alongside a very talented community,” said Jim Higgens, Chief Information Security Officer at Snapchat

Black Hat is a space where visitors can maximise their time and exhibitors can network and unearth new opportunities for partnerships and collaboration. This year’s edition will also see members of Black Hat MEA’s exclusive CISO Club invited to join the inaugural CISO Chapter, wherein over 500 end-user CISOs from across the region and beyond will receive various insights leading up to the event as well as, among other benefits, access to lounges, boardrooms, and brainstorming workshops aimed at helping overcome industry challenges.

Also new is Black Hat Campus, a bespoke matchmaking area aimed both at investors and startups that will feature podcasts and webinar sessions dedicated to cybersecurity investment. It will also host three special investor panels live on stage, as well as the launch of the first Black Hat MEA 966 Chapter, which is set to mastermind social activities and meet-ups for the Kingdom’s ethical hackers and security leaders’ network.

Meanwhile, CyberSeed is Black Hat MEA’s ground-breaking startup pitch competition and will be expanded this year with more awards, prizes, and cybersecurity champions. From an application pool numbering in the hundreds, 20 startups will be selected by a judging panel of high-powered investors and industry experts to compete on-site in the CyberSeed Semi-Finals.

Each startup can enter one of four award categories: Innovative Ideator for startups who are pre-revenue but with fantastic potential and ready to make a first jump into the market; Shining Seedling for early-stage, revenue-generating startups under five years old and with less than five staff worth under US$5m; Established Excellence for larger, more experienced companies; and Saudi Superstar, which is aimed at enhancing the profile of cybersecurity talent in the Kingdom. The top two startups from each category will qualify for the Grand Finale on November 16, where they will face off against one another live on the Executive Summit stage for a chance to be crowned the winner.

New for 2023, each of the 20 semi-finalists will be assigned a mentor, a cybersecurity expert whose role is to support contestants through advice sessions, webinars, and in-person masterclasses before the event, increasing their chances of victory. To promote equal opportunities in cybersecurity, an additional award will be given to the highest-scoring female-led startup, advancing at least to the semi-final stage.

In the Black Hat MEA Arsenal, developers will demonstrate the latest open-source tools and products in an open, conversational environment wherein presenters will interact with attendees and provide hands-on experiences. ToolsWatch is partnering the Arsenal sessions with information security experts passing on new industry tricks and trends, while hackers will demonstrate the latest breach techniques in the Activity Zone.

“This event covers the entire spectrum of current and evolving issues impacting a sector that now infiltrates every industry, every organisation, and many households everywhere,” concluded Champion. “Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue; it is now a board-room agenda issue on which the success of any organisation can depend. Failure to keep pace with the rapid speed of transformation is a risk too far. Black Hat MEA is where the region comes together to ensure it remains at the vanguard of cybersecurity for the safety of all.”

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital services, so too must step be taken to minimize the vulnerabilities that allow hackers to take advantage, visitors to day two of Black Hat MEA were told. The world is rapidly shifting towards a digital future as everything from banking to health services, agriculture and vehicles become more reliant on the Cloud and other IoT services. This brings a variety of benefits including convenience, flexibility, and ease of use. However, this also provides cybercriminals with far more vulnerabilities they can exploit to steal sensitive data, commit fraud, and more.

The second day of Black Hat MEA took the attendance since the start of the event to 20,000 and saw experts highlight threats while providing solutions that can be implemented to protect organizations and individuals from harm. Dr. Alissa ‘Dr. Jay’ Abdullah, Deputy Chief Security Officer at Mastercard highlighted the key areas of risk during a session related to mitigating cyber risks, focusing on technology, tactics, and talent. She mentioned, “Evolution is key, and we need to keep up with the pace of technology and evolve our infrastructure.” She also noted key tactics used by adversaries such as MFA (Multi-factor authentication) fatigue and the mimicking of user voice patterns, while highlighting the importance of upscaling talent, to build a more robust organization.

Caleb Sima, Chief Security Officer, Robinhood, hosted a session titled ‘Assume Breach’, with a key focus on a company’s crown jewels and how to protect them from hacking threats. “Crown jewels are anything that an attacker can take with them, including customer or employee data, tokens, and keys or even systems to modify financial transactions without repercussions.” He highlighted that much like our physical health; safety hygiene is key for any company.

During a panel discussion focused on the global laws related to the regulation, collection, use, retention, and disposal of personal information, Zaki Abbas, Chief Information Security Officer, Brookfield Asset Management said: “While it’s not exciting, data regulations play an important part and helps security programs mature. 70 percent of the world has some sort of data security regulation or legislation implemented.” Vikas Yadav, Chief Security Officer, Nyka, continued: “On a global scale a unified framework for compliance and fundamentals of privacy is the key to data protection. However, it should be implemented with customer trust at the heart of it all.” The panel also included Flavio Aggio, and Jon Staniforth, the Chief Information Security Officers of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Royal Mail respectively, and was moderated by Jaya Baloo, Chief Information Security Officer of Avast.

Taking a unique spin on things, Chris Roberts, Chief Information Security Officer, Boom Supersonic, showcased how connected livestock management and tracking platforms can be hijacked, referring to a previous experiment he had conducted. The session showed how data can be manipulated on platforms that use GPS trackers to show a completely different location, which in this case ‘relocated’ the camels from Riyadh’s deserts to snow-capped regions in Mongolia. “Our digital and physical worlds are colliding, and what you see isn’t always what you get. It is important to have a physical presence and not always depend on the digital,” said Roberts.

During the event, hacking experts showcased vulnerabilities in today’s connected environment where we are surrounded by connected devices including electric cars such as a Tesla. The demonstration showed that is possible to exploit system vulnerabilities where the car’s functions could be controlled remotely including lights, doors, and even the onboard infotainment systems. The three-day conference concludes on 17 November at the Riyadh Front Exhibition Center and features more than 250 exhibitors and over 200 speakers this year. It features international tech giants such as Cisco, IBM, Spire, Infoblox, and others that have a significant presence showcasing new technology and services.

The event was organized as part of a strategic partnership between Informa Markets, the largest events company in the world, and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) to highlight the Kingdom’s investments and growth in cybersecurity and the digital space.

AmiViz has announced today that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia-based CyberME Studio, an independently operating Venture Studio focusing on identifying, investing, nurturing, launching, and promoting Saudi-based start-ups purely focused on cybersecurity solutions. Both companies are exhibiting together at Black Hat MEA in Riyadh from 15^th to 17^th November 2022. At the show, AmiViz is representing CyberME Studio and its associate companies; Cognna, Kensa, and 2FAST at Black Hat.

Black Hat MEA is one the largest and most iconic cybersecurity events in the world that brings together global CISOs from front page companies, elite ethical hackers, more Black Hat trainers than anywhere except Vegas, and thousands of visitors. The festive vibe and amazing design of the event have set a new standard for the infosec community.

Ilyas Mohamed, COO for AmiViz said, “CyberME Studio is doing an amazing job, and the start-ups under its fold have developed world-class cybersecurity solutions. We are extremely glad to represent their portfolio and showcase their solutions at Black Hat. CyberME Studio is a one-of-a-kind venture in Saudi Arabia that is focused on developing technology in the cybersecurity space to address the challenges that customers face in today’s era. Out of our large portfolio, this is our first partnership representing Saudi home-grown cybersecurity technology.”

CyberME Studio is on a mission to place Saudi Arabia among the league of a nation that can launch homegrown cybersecurity companies to serve customers across the globe and cater to the US$ 300 billion cybersecurity market worldwide. In line with this endeavour the company was able to successfully launch various new start-ups including Cognna, Kensa, and 2FAST in the past year.

CyberME Studio has been promoting these companies at various forums and exhibitions. The company has been part of LEAP 2021, @hack 2021, and Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2022. And, now with a strategic partnership with AmiViz, CyberME Studio has opted to participate in Black Hat 2022 in Riyadh with AmiViz.

Expressing his delight about the partnership with AmiViz and participation at Black Hat, Abdulrahman Bajaber, CEO at CyberME Studio said, “We are ecstatic with the performance of all these three start-ups, which focus on a different niche within the cybersecurity domain and provide solutions that help enterprises to enhance their security posture and shield themselves against advanced cyber-attacks. We are proud at CyberME to bring the best in people to establish a new industry and take it out to the world!”

Cognna
ind the adversaries that traditional cybersecurity misses and defeat the threats they can’t see with a powerful cognitive detection and response platform. Cognna enables businesses to stop every threat without expending every resource, by combining human intuition, machine intelligence, and AI assistance for cognitive detection and response that evolves ahead of threats.

Cognna’s advanced compromise assessments include both Yara and Sigma scanning to detect malicious activity signatures and the behavioral patterns of an adversary. With cognitive threat detection, businesses can focus on the advanced persistent threats that plague their specific industry and region, knowing what’s ahead for them and protecting against evolving threats.

Kensa
As application development gets more complex –with shorter timelines, new compliance regulations, and an evolving threat landscape, Kensa is the partner that can cut through complexity and give you a competitive edge. Kensa helps you develop security as your competitive edge –with mobile app security testing that finds more, helps you resolve vulnerabilities faster, and is hosted locally and tailored to the MENA threat landscape.

Kensa’s expertise in comprehensive security testing and in the unique challenges of the MENA market enables you to both meet regulations and use security as a competitive advantage. Develop security as your competitive edge and stand out in secure app development.

2FAST
2Fast streamlines authentication and authorization with centralized IAM and one-step login for fast, flexible, frictionless security that’s easier on the enterprise and more enjoyable for the user. Experience seamless security with passwordless authentication and single sign-on options for every user. Find the security of flexibility with agile IAM that grows with your business and easily integrates with existing applications.

Elevate your security standards without impacting usability for internal teams and customers. Gain a deeper understanding of your organization with insights into user trends and robust modules to manage data privacy permissions. Go beyond the SSO with comprehensive IAM that powers greater possibilities for the evolving enterprise.