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Check Point Software to Emphasise its Prevention-First Approach to Cyber Security

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Ram Narayanan, the Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies for the Middle East, says the company will introduce Check Point Infinity XDR/XPR in the UAE

Tell us about your participation at GITEX 2024. Which products and solutions will you be showcasing at the event?
At GITEX 2024, Check Point Software will emphasise its prevention-first approach to cyber security, designed to effectively counter sophisticated cyber threats. A key highlight will be the demonstration of the Infinity AI Copilot, which leverages Gen AI to streamline security operations and enhance threat detection.

We are excited to introduce Check Point Infinity XDR/XPR in the UAE, providing customers with 360-degree visibility and seamless integration with third-party solutions. Additionally, our booth will showcase an enhanced Security Operations Center (SOC) offering, developed after our acquisition of Cyberint, which comprehensively addresses both external and internal threats, further reinforcing our commitment to protecting digital infrastructures.

How has the regional tech landscape evolved in the past couple of years?
The regional tech landscape has transformed significantly in the past few years, driven by rapid digital transformation initiatives and the increased adoption of cloud technologies and IoT solutions. However, these advancements have also led to a surge in cyber threats, as the region experiences an 18 per cent year-over-year increase in cyberattacks, according to Check Point Research’s cyber-attack trends report for Q2 2024.

Organizations are increasingly focused on strengthening their security posture, adopting AI-powered solutions that can pre-emptively detect and mitigate sophisticated, multi-vector attacks. The emphasis on smart cities and digital infrastructure has made cybersecurity a top priority for businesses and governments alike.

What are your expectations from the event this year?
This year at GITEX, Check Point is excited to be joined by several key partners for the first time, showcasing our unified efforts to enhance cyber security in the region. These partnerships emphasize our commitment to fostering strong collaborations within the GCC and delivering tailored cybersecurity solutions that address the specific needs of local businesses. Through engaging demonstrations and informative sessions, we aim to highlight our strategic initiatives and reaffirm Check Point’s dedication to empowering organizations against evolving threats while enhancing their digital resilience.

What will be your theme of participation at GITEX 2024?
At GITEX 2024, Check Point Software will focus on integrating advanced cybersecurity solutions tailored to the diverse needs of organizations across various sectors. Collaborating with regional partners at our booth reinforces our commitment to building strong partnerships in the GCC.

This collaboration will showcase how our AI-powered, cloud-delivered security solutions effectively prevent threats and provide comprehensive security management. Our approach highlights the importance of localized expertise in addressing the evolving cybersecurity challenges faced by businesses of all sizes in the region.

Do you plan to run any online engagements such as webinars and offline engagements such as tech talks, demos, keynotes, and so on, alongside GITEX 2024?
At GITEX 2024, we plan to unveil the Check Point Infinity XDR/XPR solution in the UAE, highlighting its advanced capabilities. Additionally, we plan to host live demonstrations, interactive launch sessions, and technical briefings at our booth, providing attendees with firsthand insights into our latest offerings and effective strategies for combating the evolving landscape of cyber threats.

How have your regional strategies changed in recent months?
In recent months, Check Point has intensified its focus on enhancing its presence in the GCC market by expanding its cyber security offerings and fostering strategic partnerships. The company has been actively collaborating with regional partners to deliver tailored solutions that effectively address the specific security challenges faced by businesses in the region.

By prioritising an AI-powered, prevention-first approach, Check Point is committed to adapting to the growing threat landscape while ensuring that its solutions seamlessly integrate with existing security systems. This approach reinforces the company’s dedication to enhancing digital resilience and delivering comprehensive threat protection across various sectors in the GCC.

How do your regional strategies align with regional development initiatives run by various governments?
At Check Point, our regional strategies are aligned with various governmental development initiatives aimed at enhancing digital security and resilience across multiple sectors. We recognize that as organizations embark on their digital transformation journeys, robust cybersecurity solutions are essential for navigating the ever-evolving technological landscape securely.

By integrating AI and cloud technologies into our offerings, we support broader efforts to establish secure and innovative digital ecosystems. For instance, initiatives like UAE Vision 2030 underscore the importance of strong cyber security in driving sustainable growth and fostering innovation. We are dedicated to contributing to these regional objectives.

An example of this commitment is the UAE Infinity Portal, which we launched last year. This unified security management platform is specifically tailored for businesses operating in the UAE, providing organizations of all sizes with advanced tools for threat prevention and security management, all while fully complying with local data privacy regulations. Through these efforts, we aim to not only enhance our customers’ security posture but also support the region’s overall growth and innovation goals.

Cloud

SentinelOne Simplifies Secure Cloud Migrations on AWS

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SentinelOne today announced its participation in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Workload Migration Program. This initiative supports AWS Partner Network (APN) members with SaaS offerings on AWS to accelerate and streamline workload migrations.

Through the program, SentinelOne will provide AWS customers with accelerated, secure cloud migration support, leveraging modern AI-powered CNAPP capabilities to ensure rapid and protected transitions. With access to AWS funding, technical resources, and go-to-market support, SentinelOne will help organizations reduce migration timelines and costs while maintaining robust security.

SentinelOne’s Singularity Cloud Security delivers real-time visibility and protection throughout the migration journey—whether from on-premises or another cloud—enabling a secure, seamless transition to AWS.

“Through our participation in the AWS ISV Workload Migration Program, SentinelOne is helping customers accelerate secure cloud migrations with end-to-end protection and visibility,” said Ric Smith, President of Product, Technology, and Operations at SentinelOne. “Whether moving from on-prem or another cloud to AWS, organizations can count on us to deliver the security they need throughout their journey—realizing the performance, speed, agility, and cost benefits of the cloud.”

Singularity Cloud Security combines agentless and agent-based protection for deep visibility, continuous posture management, and real-time threat detection across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. By collaborating with AWS and ecosystem partners, SentinelOne ensures seamless integration into migration projects, helping customers move faster, reduce risk, and scale confidently in the cloud.

Availability: SentinelOne’s solutions are available globally.

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Cyber Security

Beyond Blocklists: How Behavioural Intent Analysis Can Safeguard Middle East Businesses from Rising AI-Driven Bot Threats

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The Middle East is facing an unprecedented surge in AI-driven bot attacks, with malicious automation now outpacing traditional defenses. Mohammad Ismail, Vice President for EMEA at Cequence Security, warns that legacy tools like IP blocklists and rate limiting are no match for today’s sophisticated threats (more…)

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Cyber Security

Sophos Boosts Firewall with New Protection and Incident Response Features

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Sophos has announced a significant update to its Sophos Firewall software, introducing enhanced protection and incident response capabilities. This update notably includes Sophos NDR Essential, a new feature now available free of charge to all customers holding an XStream Protection license for Sophos Firewall.

This integration empowers Sophos Firewall with two dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) engines specifically designed to detect both malware communications and those utilizing algorithmically generated domain names. This advanced functionality, derived from the Sophos Network Detection and Response (NDR) probe, aims to identify sophisticated malware communications even if they are previously unknown or not yet indexed. It serves as a powerful complement to the Active Threat Response capabilities already embedded within Sophos firewalls.

Chris McCormack, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sophos

Addressing the technical demands of such advanced detection, Chris McCormack, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sophos, explained the strategic approach, “NDR traffic analysis requires substantial processing power. That’s why we’ve adopted a new approach by deploying an NDR solution in Sophos Cloud to offload the heaviest tasks from the firewall.” This cloud-centric design ensures optimal performance without burdening the firewall’s on-device resources.

Beyond network detection, the update also brings significant improvements to connectivity and user authentication. Sophos Connect now integrates EntraID for Single Sign-On (SSO). This new feature for the VPN client, bundled with Sophos Firewall, is set to enhance both the security and user experience for SSL and IPsec VPN connections. The integration with EntraID (Azure AD) enables users to authenticate and leverage multi-factor authentication for both Sophos Connect and access to the user portal hosted by the firewall, streamlining secure access.

Further VPN-related enhancements include:

  • Improved user interface and usability: Connection types have been renamed for greater clarity, with “site-to-site” now referred to as “policy-based” and tunnel interfaces as “route-based,” making configurations more intuitive.
  • Dynamic validation of the IP address pool: For VPN connections (SSL VPN, IPsec, L2TP, and PPTP), the system now dynamically validates the allocated IP address pool, helping to better resolve potential IP address conflicts.
  • Strict profile enforcement: IPsec profiles now exclude default values to ensure algorithm synchronization, effectively eliminating potential fragmentation of session negotiation packets that could otherwise prevent site-to-site VPN tunnels from being established.
  • Route-based VPN and SD-RED scalability: The system has been optimized to support up to 3,000 simultaneously established tunnels. Specifically, Sophos Firewall solutions can now manage up to 1,000 SD-RED site-to-site tunnels and connect up to 650 concurrent SD-RED devices.

Additional management improvements enhance administrative flexibility and search capabilities:

  • More flexible DHCP Prefix Delegation (IPv6 DHCP-PD): The system now supports a broader range of prefixes, from /48 to /64, improving compatibility with various internet service providers.
  • Router Advertisement (RA) and DHCPv6 server: These features are now enabled by default, simplifying IPv6 network setup.
  • Resizable table columns: The web admin interface continues its adaptation for ultra-wide screens, with many configuration pages now allowing users to resize columns as needed for improved usability.
  • Enhanced object search functionality: The search field within the SD-WAN routing configuration screen now supports more granular criteria, including route name, ID, objects, and object values like IP addresses and domains. Similarly, local ACL rules now also support object name and value searches, extending to content-based searches for more precise results.
  • Default configuration changes: To streamline initial setups, default firewall rules and rule groups previously created during new firewall deployments have been removed. The initial configuration now only includes the default network rule and MTA rules. Furthermore, the default firewall rule group and the default gateway probe for custom gateways are now set to “None” by default.

Sophos continues its commitment to cybersecurity through a “Secure by Design” approach, enhancing the intrinsic security of its firewalls. This methodology involves the containerization of specific features and rigorous integrity checks on critical operating system files using mathematical checksums. Any detected checksum mismatch triggers a potential compromise alert, enabling monitoring teams to proactively identify possible security incidents affecting the firewall OS integrity. This proactive detection allows incident response and development teams to react swiftly to critical security events.

This update is now available for manual download and deployment by customers with any Sophos Firewall equipped with a valid license.

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