Saudi Arabia has grand ambitions to transform into a modern, tech-powered economy as outlined in Vision 2030. A key part of realising this vision is ensuring the kingdom has robust cybersecurity measures in place to protect both public and private sector systems amid rapid digitisation.
In an exclusive interview on the sidelines of Black Hat MEA, Salman Faqeeh, Managing Director, Cisco Saudi Arabia, provided unique insights into Saudi’s cyber landscape and the strategic role global leaders like Cisco are playing to support the nation’s secure digital evolution.
He highlighted the significant number of investments in the country in terms of building a robust IT infrastructure, which is a crucial foundation for navigating the challenges posed by increasing digital transformation.
“Over the years, it became obvious that Saudi Arabia’s IT infrastructure is ready to take things to the next level,” he said. “This foundation is enabling profound changes like widespread hybrid work models across both public and private sectors”
According to Faqeeh, this became evident throughout the pandemic as many organisations across various industries in the Kingdom were able to accelerate their digitalisation agendas and swiftly shift to hybrid working models.
However, this increased connectivity also expands the attack surface. This evidenced why cybersecurity has never been more important as organisations rapidly scale their digital operations. As more data and services move online, the risks of data breaches, ransomware and other cyberthreats proliferate if not properly mitigated.
“You cannot think of a hybrid world without cybersecurity. With digital transformation initiatives reshaping businesses and the advent of technologies like IoT and AI, it becomes imperative for cybersecurity to take centre stage in these innovations,” he said.
Faqeeh highlighted that Saudi Arabia recognises these risks and is taking a proactive, multi-pronged approach through bodies like the National Cybersecurity Authority. “That is definitely clear evidence how the overall nation is paying the right level of attention towards cybersecurity,” he stated.
Cybersecurity initiatives in Saudi Arabia
Cisco aligns with Saudi regulations and plans to establish a secure service centre in the country. The focus extends beyond business, with Cisco committed to elevating awareness and contributing to the cybersecurity community.
“We are committed to raising awareness and enriching the learning and development within the ICT domain, including the cybersecurity community. We strive to contribute to the enrichment of knowledge and skills in these domains,” said Faqeeh.
In line with this, Faqeeh highlighted the company’s long-running Cisco Networking Academy programme, which has benefitted over 330,000 Saudis, with 38 percent female participants above global averages. Acknowledging the youth as a valuable asset, he points out that almost 60 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 30 and the company actively contributes to their development through various initiatives via the Academy.
“For any nation, having a significant young population is a golden opportunity, provided that they are given great avenues for learning and development,” he said.
He noted that Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of this with the Kingdom’s leadership investing in resources into centres and programmes to foster and elevate the learning and development of its citizens.
In addition to awareness and enablement initiatives, as part of its continuous dedication to the Kingdom, the company intends to set up a data centre in Saudi Arabia designed for cloud-delivered security. This initiative aims to help organisations protect their users, infrastructure, and investments from potential threat actors.
The data centre, which is slated to be launched in 2024, is centered on delivering adaptable security services and ensuring data protection, catering to the requirements of devices, remote users, and dispersed locations. It will play a pivotal role in offering agile and highly resilient secure access to users within the Kingdom.
“Our aim is to streamline cybersecurity processes, ensuring simplicity without compromising the highest standards of security in the Kingdom,” explained Faqeeh.
He added, “We plan to do this by focusing on three main pillars: protecting users, securing the cloud, and preventing and managing cyber threats. In case of an attack, our streamlined strategy ensures a swift response before, during, and after the incident. Globally and in Saudi, we leverage generative AI to respond seamlessly to attacks, saving valuable time in generating the right codes and configurations.”
Shaping the future of cybersecurity
In September, Cisco has unveiled plans to acquire cybersecurity firm Splunk in a deal valued at approximately $28 billion, marking a strategic merger between two industry behemoths and heralding a new era of AI-driven security and digital resilience.
According to both companies, this integration aims to tackle issues such as data proliferation, the rapid adoption of generative AI, expanding threat surfaces, and the prevalence of multiple cloud environments. The collaboration leverages the companies’ leadership in AI, security, and observability to provide robust solutions for managing, protecting, and extracting value from data. The merger benefits from the complementary nature of their capabilities, with Splunk’s security expertise seamlessly integrating with Cisco’s portfolio. This collaboration extends observability across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, offering a comprehensive and integrated approach to enhance the security and digital resilience of organisations of all sizes.
“We firmly believe that the collaboration between Cisco and Splunk holds tremendous potential for driving significant innovation in both the global and local markets. This monumental step not only reaffirms Cisco’s unwavering commitment to cybersecurity and observability but also signifies our leadership role as a major player in the software industry, seamlessly bridging and linking these crucial domains together,” said Faqeeh.
Looking ahead, Faqeeh noted that as a reliable partner in Saudi Arabia for over 25 years, Cisco envisions a future deeply intertwined with the Kingdom’s digital transformation journey. With solid foundations and committed partners, Saudi Arabia is well positioned to enable the digital-first future its vision foresees.
“We have always been and continue to be deeply committed to fostering innovation and securing it. We are dedicated to driving continuous learning and actively contribute to fostering talent. We encourage the exceptional abilities of Saudis and individuals in Saudi Arabia to persist in their development, making valuable contributions to bolster our national cybersecurity,” he said.
