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What do you think is the current hot tech talking point ?
While it might not be a new trend , I think cloud continues to be a focus in the region . Whether it be to underpin an organisations ’ Digital Transformation strategy or to minimise cost , we are seeing organisations , particularly since the pandemic , accelerate their move from onprem to cloud . Another trend we are seeing , again arguably accelerated by the pandemic , is BYOD . The convergence of these two trends means , now more than ever , organisations need a unified platform that protects users , devices , access and data across all applications and devices , from any modern day cyberthreats and that ’ s where SSE comes in .
How do you deal with stress and unwind out of the office ?
I am a self-professed workaholic and if my laptop or my phone is within reach and I see an email come in , I have to action it . So for me , travelling to remote destinations , where I am almost ‘ forced ’ to disconnect , is something I try to do two to three times a year . For very similar reasons , I also really enjoy camping with friends and the UAE offers some amazing camping venues , particularly in the winter months .
If you could change one career decision what would that be ?
The very first company that I worked in , my role was a sales engineer . I established a very strong track record of success and was well liked and respected within the company , but eventually chose to move to another security vendor , in a similar role . After a couple of years in a technical role with the second company , I made the transition to sales but it was quite a difficult transition for a myriad of reasons and definitely wasn ’ t as smooth as it would have been had I made the switch at the first company I had worked for . So that would probably be the only thing I would have done differently – switched from a technical to a sales role at my first company .
What do you currently identify as a major area of investment in your industry ?
From a macro perspective , as you know there is a skills shortage in IT , specifically in cybersecurity and we see this across customers , vendors and the channel . So one big area where we are seeing investment is in education , be it providing new skills or upskilling , for employees .
More tactically , at a customer level , following on what I mentioned earlier regarding trends , we are seeing customers make big investments in making the transition from on-prem to cloud infrastructures .
What are the region specific challenges when implementing new technologies in the Middle East ?
Broadly speaking , I think the challenges that organisations face when it comes to implementation of technology are similar to those faced by organisations in other parts of the world . What makes the Middle East unique , is the volume and sophistication of attacks we see – whether it be because of the abundance of natural resources or some of the geo-political tensions , the region is a key target for bad actors .
It is well documented that in addition to having the right technology , you also need to have the right resources and processes in place . We ’ ve already talked about the lack of skills so this is obviously one challenge that the region needs to address . I am hopeful that buoyed by government initiatives like the UAE ’ s 100K Coders and Golden Visa scheme , as well as efforts on the part of private enterprise , we will bridge this talent gap slowly , but surely .
What advice would you offer somebody looking to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
A key trait for any good leader is having the ability to lead by example . And this is key , particularly in cybersecurity . Any aspiring C-suite executive must be able to demonstrate to the wider organisation his / her commitment to keeping the organisation safe – this means everything from following processes around BYOD , etc ; taking the annual cybersecurity education courses seriously and most importantly , being involved in the cybersecurity decision making process . We have already seen that in Europe , C-suite executives are now liable for security breaches and while time will tell is we see similar legislation here , it does make it clear that C-suite executives need to take ownership of cybersecurity . p
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