From navigating the evolving landscape of remote work to harnessing the power of AI in cybersecurity, explore key trends, challenges, and opportunities that define the industry in 2024. Gain invaluable insights into building resilient security systems, embracing Zero Trust principles, and addressing the pressing need for a diverse and skilled cybersecurity workforce.
In this exclusive interview, we trace the remarkable journey of Meriam El Ouazzani, Regional Sales Director at SentinelOne, who brings over 18 years of experience from leading tech giants like VMware, Cisco, and HP.
Tell us how you got into the field of technology and cybersecurity. What has your journey been like?
With over 18 years of industry experience in technology and cybersecurity sales management and channel/partner management at companies such as VMware, Cisco, and HP, I brought a wealth of knowledge to my role as Regional Sales Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) at SentinelOne. This extensive experience has provided me with invaluable insights into customer needs, market dynamics, and emerging technologies, all of which will be instrumental in driving SentinelOne’s success in the META region.
Previously, I served as the Regional Channel Manager for the META region at SentinelOne, where I played a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth and success by creating strong relationships with partners, distributors, and resellers. This period was marked by collaboration, innovation, and strategic thinking, laying the groundwork for my current position as the Regional Director for META.
My journey into technology and cybersecurity began during my tenure at VMware, where I led as Channel Lead for micro-segmentation and NSX technology. This period marked a pivotal moment for VMware, fueled by the strategic acquisition of Nicira, and it was my responsibility to ensure its success.
It wasn’t merely about selling products but about creating a vision and building collaboration across a diverse network of partners. I spearheaded the creation of a dedicated security practice within VMware’s partner ecosystem, aiming to seamlessly integrate NSX technology into the cybersecurity landscape, thereby enhancing both functionality and security.
Now, as Regional Sales Director at SentinelOne, I am entrusted with overseeing all operations, strategies, and initiatives within the META region. This includes sales, marketing, and customer relations, requiring me to lead high-performing teams, set strategic goals, and adapt to industry trends.
My passion for cybersecurity stems from its dynamic nature, presenting new challenges and opportunities for innovation every day. I see cybersecurity as a platform for empowerment, particularly for women in STEM fields, and I aim to inspire others and pave the way for future generations. I embrace the challenges of leadership while finding balance and joy in my family life.
Looking ahead, I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for both myself and women in cybersecurity. With a blend of strategic leadership, operational excellence, and a commitment to diversity and innovation, I am confident in our ability to drive SentinelOne’s success in the META region and beyond.
How has cybersecurity as a space changed and transformed in a post-pandemic world?
During the pandemic, cybercriminals capitalized on the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the world to launch a variety of cyber-attacks, including phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and data breaches. The rapid shift to remote work expanded the attack surface for cyber threats as organizations grappled with securing a distributed workforce and implementing secure remote access solutions.
In a post-pandemic world, remote work continues across industries, with many organizations now implementing hybrid working models. Most importantly, I believe the pandemic has underscored the importance of cyber resilience—the ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber-attacks and disruptions.
With the proliferation of remote endpoints, such as laptops, mobile devices, and IoT devices, endpoint security has become a critical focus area for cybersecurity. Organizations must carry on investing in endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect and respond to threats across their distributed networks.
Now, the traditional perimeter-based security model has become increasingly obsolete in a remote work environment. As a result, there’s been a shift towards a Zero Trust security approach, which assumes that threats can originate from both inside and outside the network. Zero Trust emphasizes strict access controls, continuous authentication, and least privilege access principles to mitigate cyber risks.
The pandemic also accelerated the adoption of cloud services as organizations seek scalable and flexible solutions to support remote work and digital transformation initiatives. As a result, cloud security remains a top priority, with organizations implementing cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools and cloud workload protection platforms (CWPP) to secure their cloud environments.
What has AI’s impact been in the cybersecurity space, and how can it help build better security systems?
The impact of AI in the cybersecurity space has been profound, revolutionizing the way organisations detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats. AI-driven tools can sift through large amounts of data in real time to detect anomalies and identify potential threats more accurately than traditional security measures. AI can also automate routine cybersecurity tasks, such as threat detection, analysis, and response, freeing up security personnel to focus on more strategic activities. AI-driven security orchestration and automation platforms can automatically respond to security incidents, such as quarantining compromised endpoints or blocking suspicious network traffic, reducing response times and minimizing the impact of cyber-attacks.
What should organisations keep in mind in 2024 while looking at cybersecurity?
Several key considerations should be at the forefront of mind to ensure a robust cybersecurity posture and resilience. As I said earlier, embracing the Zero Trust security model, investing in AI-driven security solutions to proactively defend against cyber threats and strengthening cloud security measures to protect data and applications hosted in cloud environments are all essential today.
Additionally, enhancing Identity and Access Management (IAM) strategies to manage and secure user identities and access privileges across the organization is critical, utilizing multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and privileged access management (PAM) solutions to prevent unauthorized access and protect sensitive data.
Today, it is increasingly crucial to collaborate and share information within the cybersecurity community to stay abreast of emerging threats and vulnerabilities, participating in threat intelligence sharing initiatives such as Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs). Moreover, prioritizing cybersecurity training and awareness programs to educate employees about emerging threats can empower them to recognize and report suspicious activities, cultivating a culture of vigilance across the organization.
Developing and regularly testing incident response plans to respond to and mitigate cyber-attacks and data breaches effectively is necessary. Establish clear roles and responsibilities, define communication protocols, and set recovery procedures to minimize the impact of security incidents on business operations. Evaluate and manage third-party vendor risks to protect against supply chain attacks and ensure the security of outsourced services and products, with thorough security assessments of vendors and contractual agreements that include cybersecurity responsibilities.
Organizations need to implement continuous security monitoring practices to detect and respond to cyber threats in real-time, deploying security information and event management (SIEM) systems, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor network activity, identify anomalies, and investigate security incidents promptly.
What are the top five trends in the cybersecurity space currently?
Ransomware attacks continue to escalate in frequency, sophistication, and impact, and threat actors are increasingly using ransomware as a means of extortion, targeting organizations of all sizes and industries.
Again, Zero Trust security architecture has gained significant traction as organizations move away from traditional perimeter-based security models. With the rise of remote work and cloud adoption, Zero Trust has become increasingly essential for securing distributed networks and mitigating cyber risks.
As mentioned earlier, AI is also playing an increasingly critical role in cybersecurity for threat detection, anomaly detection, and automated incident response. However, adversaries are also leveraging AI to launch more sophisticated attacks, leading to an ongoing arms race between attackers and defenders.
Supply chain attacks have emerged as a significant cybersecurity threat. They target third-party vendors and suppliers to compromise organizations indirectly. High-profile supply chain attacks, such as the SolarWinds incidents, have underscored the importance of supply chain security and vendor risk management.
Lastly, the cybersecurity skills shortage continues to pose a significant challenge for organizations worldwide, as the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals outpaces the supply.
Organisations invest in workforce development initiatives, such as training programs, certifications, and apprenticeships, to build and retain a talented cybersecurity workforce. There’s a growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the cybersecurity field, with efforts to recruit and retain underrepresented groups and foster a more inclusive and diverse workforce to address the skills gap effectively.
