Alain Penel, the Vice President for Middle East, Turkey, and CIS at Fortinet, says there is currently a global cybersecurity skills shortage of 3.4 million people

Tell us about the cybersecurity trends for 2024.
While cybercriminals will always rely on tried-and-true tactics to achieve a quick payday, today’s attackers now have a growing number of tools available to them to assist with attack execution. As cybercrime evolves, we anticipate seeing several fresh trends emerge in 2024 and beyond.

The “classics” aren’t going away—instead, they’re evolving and advancing as attackers gain access to new resources. For example, when it comes to advanced persistent cybercrime, we anticipate more activity among a growing number of advanced persistent threat (APT) groups. In addition to the evolution of APT operations, we predict that cybercrime groups, in general, will diversify their targets and playbooks, focusing on more sophisticated and disruptive attacks, and setting their sights on denial of service and extortion.

Cybercrime “turf wars” will continue, with multiple attack groups homing in on the same targets and deploying ransomware variants, often within 24 hours or less. And let’s not forget about the evolution of generative AI. This weaponisation of AI is adding fuel to an already raging fire, giving attackers an easy means of enhancing many stages of their attacks. As we’ve predicted in the past, we’re seeing cybercriminals increasingly use AI to support malicious activities in new ways, ranging from thwarting the detection of social engineering to mimicking human behaviour.

Which products and solutions will you be showcasing at GISEC 2024?
At the show, we’ll be showcasing an array of advanced cybersecurity solutions and innovations such as SASE, Secure Networking, Operational Technology, Cloud Security and AI technologies. We’ll be there to support organisations of all sizes and across all industries in the Middle East, whatever their cybersecurity needs. We hope to meet like-minded companies and individuals in the pursuit of realising the region’s full potential by leveraging technology, security, and transformation. At the Fortinet stand (A100, Hall 5) our specialists will be able to engage with attendees and discuss individualised security solutions based on their specific needs. We look forward to welcoming everyone.

How are you equipped to help companies overcome digital security and privacy challenges?
Digital technology will continue transforming our society, with new questions about online safety, privacy, and the security of our networks frequently emerging along the way. At Fortinet, we offer our customers the advantages of using a single-platform cybersecurity solution, including greater automation, more integration, additional efficiencies, and faster processing times, via the Fortinet Security Fabric.

This approach is vital for effectively protecting today’s networks and protecting the entire digital attack surface. While new point products will inevitably be invented to address new risks and opportunities, operating a disparate collection of best-of-breed technologies without any move toward convergence isn’t sustainable. As networks grow increasingly complex and the threat landscape intensifies, AI and automation also play a critical role in augmenting daily security operations.

Fortinet has been at the forefront of AI and machine learning innovation for years. Incorporating AI into our Security Fabric, Fortinet’s response centres on an integrated approach, leveraging AI-driven technologies for proactive threat detection and response. One of our first AI-powered use cases was the virtual FortiGuard threat analyst. It can address threats in real-time while delivering coordinated protection, updating defensive signatures across the Fabric every time a new threat is identified.

Is there a skills gap in the cybersecurity industry? What needs to be done to bridge that gap?
According to recent research, there is currently a global cybersecurity skills shortage of 3.4 million people, which means that more and more organisations are fighting an uphill battle in the fight against cyberattacks. The Fortinet Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report 2023 also found that 84% of enterprises experienced one or more breaches in the past 12 months. While numerous factors are likely to contribute to this increase in breaches, more than two-thirds of business leaders (68%) agree that unfilled IT and security positions pose a security risk to their organisations.

In collaboration with organisations that span industry, academia, government, and nonprofits, Fortinet is creating more opportunities for organisations to find more qualified diverse cybersecurity talent, and helping individuals from more diverse groups obtain the skill sets needed to grow or start a cyber career. These initiatives are essential to our industry, particularly as organisations of all shapes and sizes struggle to recruit and retain talent to fill critical roles.

Organisations should also look at ways to upskill current staff through initiatives such as the Fortinet Training Institute, which is committed to developing experts in the field of cybersecurity through training and certification programs for customers, partners, and employees, as well as through academic and education outreach partnership programs around the world. Supported by Fortinet’s strong network, the Training Institute has issued over 1.5 million certifications to date.