Cisco Study Reveals 91% of UAE Companies Use AI Technologies in their Cybersecurity Strategies

Cisco Unveiled the UAE findings of its Cybersecurity Readiness Index for 2024 at GISEC:

Cisco Study Reveals 91% of UAE Companies Use AI Technologies in their Cybersecurity Strategies to Address Today’s Rapidly Evolving Threat Landscape

News Summary:

GISEC 2024 – Dubai – United Arab Emirates, April 23, 2024 — The recent study conducted by Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) highlights a significant surge in the use of AI technologies in cybersecurity strategies among UAE organizations. The study indicates that 91% of companies surveyed are integrating AI in their security defenses, mainly in threat detection, response, and recovery.

The 2024 Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index was developed in an era defined by hyperconnectivity and a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Despite continuing to be targeted with a variety of techniques that range from phishing and ransomware to supply chain and social engineering attacks, companies today are actively attempting to fortify their defense. And while they are building defenses against these attacks, the complexity of their security postures, dominated by multiple point solutions, presents a challenge in effectively thwarting these threats.

These challenges are compounded in today’s distributed working environments where data can be spread across limitless services, devices, applications, and users. However, 87% of companies still feel moderately to very confident in their ability to defend against a cyberattack with their current infrastructure – this optimism underscores a proactive stance in navigating the evolving threat and confronting emerging challenges head-on.

2024 Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index: Building Resilience in Response to an Evolving Threat Landscape

The Index assesses the readiness of companies on five key pillars: Identity Intelligence, Network Resilience, Machine Trustworthiness, Cloud Reinforcement, and AI Fortification, which are comprised of 31 corresponding solutions and capabilities. It is based on a double-blind survey of more than 8,000 private sector security and business leaders across 30 global markets conducted by an independent third party. The respondents were asked to indicate which of these solutions and capabilities they had deployed and the stage of deployment.

“As our digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures cannot be overstated,” said Fady Younes, Managing Director for Cybersecurity at Cisco in the Middle East and Africa. “It is essential that organizations prioritize cybersecurity investments and embrace innovative solutions to effectively mitigate risks. By fostering a culture of cyber resilience, UAE organizations can navigate the digital landscape with confidence, while safeguarding their operations against emerging threats.”

Further Findings

To overcome the challenges of today’s threat landscape, companies must accelerate meaningful investments in security, including adoption of innovative security measures and a security platform approach, strengthen their network resilience, establish meaningful use of generative AI, and ramp up recruitment to bridge the cybersecurity skills gap.

Additional Resources:

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