Meriam El Ouazzani, the Regional Director for Middle East, Turkey and Africa at SentinelOne, says the shortage of cybersecurity experts remains a big problem for companies globally

Tell us about the cybersecurity trends for 2024.
In 2024, cybersecurity trends include the increased adoption of AI-powered security solutions, the growing importance of cloud security, and the continued emphasis on cybersecurity awareness and education. GenAI-powered defences spotlight an increased reliance on AI and ML for threat detection and response, enabling quicker identification and mitigation of sophisticated attacks. Adaptive strategies to combat emerging threats like GenAI-driven attacks, deepfakes, and sophisticated ransomware tactics underscore the agile response required in the evolving threat landscape.

The adoption of Zero Trust Architecture is growing, and we are noticing a wider adoption of XDR platforms integrating multiple security controls to facilitate holistic threat detection and response across diverse environments. Moreover, the focus on cyber insurance is rising as businesses recognize the financial implications of cyber incidents and seek protection, aligning with the boost in regulatory compliance and supply chain security to tackle interconnected ecosystem and data privacy threats.

What is the theme of your participation at GISEC 2024?
The theme of our participation at GISEC 2024 revolves around “Empowering Cybersecurity with AI Innovation.” We aim to showcase how our AI-driven cybersecurity platform is revolutionizing the industry by offering advanced threat detection, real-time response capabilities, and enterprise-wide protection. Through our participation, we seek to demonstrate how AI technology can enhance cyber resilience, streamline security operations, and empower organizations to stay ahead of evolving threats in today’s digital landscape.

Which products and solutions will you be showcasing at GISEC 2024?
At GISEC 2024, we will be showcasing Purple AI, an AI security analyst which empowers organizations to identify threats earlier, respond faster, and stay ahead of attacks. We will also display our flagship Singularity Platform, including Singularity for Identity, Singularity Cloud Workload Security, and the Singularity Data Lake.

How are you equipped to help companies overcome digital security and privacy challenges?
We are equipped to help companies overcome digital security and privacy challenges through our innovative AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. SentinelOne’s AI-powered cybersecurity platform offers comprehensive protection across the entire enterprise ecosystem, from endpoints to the cloud. It breaks down security silos, providing enterprise-wide visibility and control, all driven by real-time AI.

Additionally, our Singularity Cloud Workload Security extends security and visibility across VMs, servers, containers, and Kubernetes clusters in hybrid cloud environments. By preventing, detecting, investigating, and responding to runtime threats in real-time, organizations can safeguard their data across public clouds, private clouds, and on-premise data centres seamlessly. Singularity for Identity empowers organizations to elevate their threat detection and response capabilities for identity-based surfaces, such as Active Directory and Azure AD.

With proactive, real-time defence mechanisms, SentinelOne ensures the integrity of identity infrastructure and credentials, mitigating cyber risks effectively. By harnessing the power of AI, we enable organizations to adapt and respond to evolving cyber threats in real time, empowering them to proactively defend against sophisticated attacks and minimize the impact of security incidents.

Is there a skills gap in the cybersecurity industry? What needs to be done to bridge that gap?
Yes, the shortage of cybersecurity experts remains a big problem for companies globally, as there aren’t enough skilled professionals to meet the demand. To tackle this, companies should focus on and invest in training, certifications, and apprenticeships to develop and retain a talented cybersecurity team. It’s also crucial to prioritize diversity and inclusion in hiring and retaining underrepresented groups to bridge the skills gap effectively.