The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) will be hosting a virtual event on 17 November. The event, “DFSA Cyber Risk Forum – Remaining resilient in the era of transformation and disruption“, will raise awareness about cyber risks and promote cybersecurity maturity amongst companies operating in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

This is the first edition of the event which reinforces the DFSA’s goal of raising cyber awareness and promoting continued development of cyber risk capabilities in the DIFC, in line with the UAE’s National Cybersecurity strategy.

The half-day event will include panel discussions from industry experts speaking about the cyber threat landscape, the impact of innovation and digital transformation and what institutions should do to protect against and respond to cyber incidents. Experts will discuss the implications of remote working on cyber risk and how cybercriminals have capitalised on the pandemic.

The speakers will include specialists from the DFSA, the Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC), the Arab Emirates Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT), Control Risks, AIG, Microsoft, HSBC, Crowdstrike, MUFG, Help AG, Lockton, and McAfee.

Bryan Stirewalt, Chief Executive of the DFSA, said: “Cybersecurity was once considered an IT issue, but this mindset has changed over the past several years as technology became an ever-increasing strategic consideration for the financial sector. The onset of the global pandemic saw rapid digitalisation and significant spikes in phishing attacks while entire organisations began working remotely. Many organizations are now considering “work from anywhere” policies. In this light, cybersecurity steadily moved up the table of the most significant risks that financial institutions now face. As we navigate through a more digital world, it is important to understand what hackers see as valuable data and what firms can do to protect themselves. Indeed, data protection is at the forefront of governance, risk and compliance agendas now. We look forward to looking at these important issues through an incredible group of experts from both public and private sector entities at this event.”

To register for the event please click here.