Ram Narayanan, the Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies for the Middle East, says hacktivism, deep fakes, attacks on business collaboration tools, new regulatory mandates, and pressure to cut complexity will top organizations’ security agendas over the coming year

Tell us about the cybersecurity trends for 2023.
We’re entering a new era of hacktivism, with increasing attacks motivated by political and social causes. According to Check Point Software’s cyber security predictions for 2023, Hacktivism, deep fakes, attacks on business collaboration tools, new regulatory mandates, and pressure to cut complexity will top organizations’ security agendas over the coming year. Business and technology executives need to have cyber security as the top priority in view of the fact that cyber-attacks are becoming more sophisticated and their numbers have only increased during the last year. Furthermore, as businesses look to remove cost and complexity from the entire digital and security stack, consolidation will become a “real” priority.

What is the theme of your participation at GISEC 2023?
Check Point Software’s theme of participation at GISEC 2023 is centered around the concept of Unified Security Architecture. We believe that prevention is the best security solution and our focus is on delivering comprehensive, consolidated, and collaborative cybersecurity solutions to our customers and partners. In addition to showcasing its latest security solutions, Check Point Software will be highlighting its commitment to leveling up its engagement with customers and partners to provide the best customer experience.

Which products and solutions will you be showcasing at GISEC 2023?
GISEC is the largest cyber security exhibition and conference in the Middle East and provides a premier platform for industry leaders to showcase the latest innovations and solutions. At the event, Check Point Software will be showcasing the company’s latest prevention-first best solutions including Check Point CloudGuard, Check Point Harmony, Check Point Quantum, and Check Point Horizon.

How are you equipped to help companies overcome digital security and privacy challenges?
Check Point Software offers a range of cyber security solutions that help organizations secure their networks, cloud infrastructure, endpoints, and mobile devices from 5th-generation cyber-attacks. By leveraging advanced threat prevention technologies and centralized management, Check Point Software enables its customers to defend against cyberattacks and prevent data breaches with an industry-leading catch rate of malware, ransomware, and other types of attacks.

Is there a skills gap in the cybersecurity industry? What needs to be done in order to bridge that gap?
Certainly, there is a significant skills gap in the cybersecurity industry. As technology advances, there is a growing need for cybersecurity experts, but there is a shortage of skilled workers to meet this demand. Bridging the skills gap requires a multi-faceted approach that involves education, training, and certification programs, as well as public-private partnerships and government initiatives.

To address the skills gap, cybersecurity companies must invest in employee training and development programs, and partner with educational institutions to promote cybersecurity education and training programs. By taking a proactive approach to addressing the skills gap, the cybersecurity industry can help ensure that there is a pipeline of skilled cybersecurity professionals to meet the growing demand for cybersecurity talent.