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OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT CYBERSECURITY PARTNER

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3 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

MAIN STAGE - HALL 5  
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10:30 – 16:10
Nation stage   Headline Sponsor
10:50 – 11:00
Nation stage   Moderator Opening Remarks
Speakers

Omnia Al Saleh Producer and Host, Pulse 95 FM

11:00 – 11:20
Nation stage   OPENING KEYNOTE: Reimagine Cybersecurity in the New Digital Only World Protecting nations from external and internal digital threats have become priority for law enforcement. This session will address the imperative of cybersecurity being important to prevent and fight against crime and terrorism. An overview of the international applicable frameworks, policies and geopolitics in the MENA region with cross border cooperation
Speakers

Jehangir Khan Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism

11:20 – 11:35
Nation stage   Cloud Security: from Challenges to Opportunities
Speakers

Kamal Zian Chief Security Officer, Huawei Gulf North

11:35 – 12:05
Nation stage   Panel Discussion: The Cybersecurity Collaboration and International Cooperation 64% of the world population uses the internet, and digital transformation is at an all-time high along with the increase of cyber threats. A part to resolving this massive high digital transformation is to have more collaboration and cooperation in cybersecurity, especially between international cooperation and domestic collaboration to ensure a secure broad interconnected system in the future. An overview of cyber preparedness, intelligence sharing and cyber frameworks across industries. 
Moderator

Dr. Ernesto Damiani Director, Khalifa University Center for Cyber Physical Systems (C2PS), Khalifa University, UAE

Speakers

Ali Abdulla Hassan Chief of Information Technology, Ministry of Oil and Environment, Bahrain

Shafiullah Ismail Vice President & Head - Cyber Security and Risk, Mubadala Capital, UAE

Martin Xie Senior Expert, Global Security and Privacy Office, Huawei

12:05 – 12:25
Nation stage   National Cybersecurity Risk-Based Framework • The newly developed national cybersecurity risk-based framework model
• Capability model that will contribute to the cyber risk improved defenses
• The importance of risk quantification in decision support for making risk-based cyber-related decisions 
Speakers

Adham Etoom Director of Policy and Compliance, National Cybersecurity Center, Jordan

12:25 – 12:45
Nation stage   Fireside Chat: Safeguarding Cyber Resilience to Enable Continued Business Priorities Recent industry report has predicted, Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity market to increase to over $5.5 billion) by this year. Considering the development of the digital agenda in line with Vision 2030, industries are placing cybersecurity as a top priority. This session will highlight the importance of cyber resilience-based planning, frameworks of incidence response, data protection and governance along with advanced security-based measures adopted by enterprises.
Moderator

Omnia Al Saleh Radio host and EMCEE

Speakers

Mohammad Sarhan General Manager – Cybersecurity, General Authority of Civil Aviation [KSA]

12:45 – 13:05
Nation stage   SPECIAL ADDRESS: Building ROI Through Cyber Intelligence • Cybersecurity is a top priority in the Sultanate of Oman with business and government sectors aligning to achieve Oman Vision 2040. With Oman investing $442mn in Digital Transformation Program, how is the Sultanate investing in developing digital talent and cyber awareness along with the development of the digital economy?
• Understanding the key enablers for the digital economy expansion and preparing for cyber risks and responses across enterprises and individuals 
• As a lot of breaches are now focused on small businesses, how are organizations staying competitive and prioritizing strategic security measures?
Speakers

Eng. Badar Ali Al-Salehi Director General - Oman National Cert, Head of ITU Regional Cyber Security Center, Oman

13:05 – 13:45
Nation stage   Panel Discussion: Zero Trust Principles to Securely Integrate Legacy Systems • The adoption of zero trust architecture adopted by enterprises to close the vulnerabilities of the IoT ecosystem – how are enterprises deploying zero trust maturity models and what are the challenges?
• Overcoming the obstacles of Zero Trust journeys – understanding the move forward
• How are cybersecurity experts securing endpoints and cloud environments for enterprises and creating  platforms to deter breaches - what are the challenges of integrating cloud platforms and on-premise container environment
• Information and communication sharing amongst enterprises crucial - an overview of creating future-proof security strategy and modernization of security programs
• The development of cybersecurity framework and information sharing operational framework - what are the challenges involved in the development on these frameworks?
Moderator

Dr. Ernesto Damiani Director, Khalifa University Center for Cyber Physical Systems (C2PS), Khalifa University, UAE

Speakers

Yuosof Radi Director of Cyber Security, SAL Saudi Logistics Services [KSA]

Eng. Dina AlSalamen VP, Head of Cyber and Information Security Department, Bank ABC (Jordan), Jordan

Hamad Saeed Abdulrahman Director of ICT Directorate, King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain

Zaheer Shaikh Chief Information Security Officer, Al Maryah Community Bank [UAE]

13:45 – 14:00
Nation stage   Role and Impact of the Young Generation in the Cybersecurity Field How can we channel the malicious energy coming from younger agents into a productive and efficient activity that serves in securing the digital world
Speakers

Elia Tannous Youngest Cybersecurity Analyst, Lebanon

14:00 – 14:15
Nation stage   Advocating Innovative Approach to build Secure & Resilient Communications Networks
Speakers

Louis Lou Senior Expert of Global Cyber Security & Privacy Office, Huawei

14:15 – 14:35
Nation stage   Nation States Building Capacity by Bolstering Critical Infrastructure Global organizations are working hard to explore cyber resilience through disruptions. However achieving operational and cyber resilience in the face of disruptions will be a key challenge. How can governments be center stone in reducing cyber risks? Due to potential high visibility impact from critical infrastructures are national cyber hygiene campaigns becoming a priority?
Speakers

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem Al Zaabi Assistant Information and Cyber Security Operations Director, ENEC, UAE

14:35 – 14:55
Nation stage   Cyber Breach & Persistent Threats • Addressing cyber vulnerabilities - Are institutions creating frameworks to stay resilient to strengthen the global economy without disrupting international supply chains?
• Due to potential high visibility impact from critical infrastructures, are national cyber hygiene campaigns becoming a priority?
• An overview of on initiatives to combat malicious activity for both physical & virtual assets  - How to detect, assess and triage cyberattack?
Speakers

Dr. Reham A. Elmayet Telecom Expert, ICT Development Department, League of Arab States, Egypt

14:55 – 15:15
Nation stage   Operational Resilience Needs a Strong Cybersecurity Focus • Operational Resilience Framework (ORF) Overview.
•The principles of Operational Resilience Framework 
•The Role of Cybersecurity in ORF implementation .
• Challenges vs Recommendations for ORF implementation.
Speakers

Eng. Dina AlSalamen VP, Head of Cyber and Information Security Department, Bank ABC (Jordan), Jordan

15:15 – 16:00
Nation stage   Panel Discussion: The Rise of APT’s in MENA – Securing the Digital Economy •2023 witnessed a 38% increase in cyberattacks in 2023 compared to 2022. From enterprises to government entities, 1 out of 40 organizations have been impacted by malware – How are enterprises continuously improving given the vast threat landscape?
•Guidelines in handling APTs effectively – Threat identification & managing threats in real time
•What is the future of digital social engineering? Are enterprises creating frameworks for preventive & reactive measures and how effective has it been?
Moderator

Prof. Muhammad Khurram Khan Professor of Cybersecurity, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia

Speakers

Yuosof Radi Director of Cyber Security, SAL Saudi Logistics Services, Saudi Arabia

Abhishek Singh Head Info Security - Governance and Risk Management, Bank Muscat, Oman

Eliahu Assif Chief Security Officer, WIO Bank, UAE

Dr. Hulk Zhang Senior Cybersecurity Specialist, Huawei UAE

16:00 – 16:20
Nation stage   Fireside Chat: The Revolution in Cybersecurity: Embracing Automation and Machine Learning to Achieve Cyber Resilience
Speakers

Wassim Seliman General Manager, GBM Kuwait

Sameer Abduh Head of IT Security, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait

16:20 – 16:30
Nation stage   Closing Remarks
10:40 – 16:50
Nation stage   Headline Sponsor
10:40 – 11:00
Nation stage   Moderator Opening Remarks
Speakers

Mayowa Adegoke International Journalist Award winning TV show host

11:00 – 11:20
Nation stage   OPENING KEYNOTE: The State of Play of Critical Infrastructures Cyber-attacks targeting Critical Information Infrastructures (CII) have increased tremendously as the widespread use of information technologies and strategies of “we are Going Digital”. Therefore, critical information infrastructure protection becomes a significant issue not only at the organization level but also at the national level. The session presents Egypt’s efforts on the importance of cybersecurity for critical infrastructure and sheds light on the cyber-attacks targeting CII and how to mitigate risks from such attacks.  
Speakers

Dr. Ahmed AbdelHafez Vice President for Cyber Security Affairs, NTRA, Egypt

11:20 – 11:35
Nation stage   ICT Vulnerability Management Best Practices in Vulnerability Management: Objective, Principles, Steps, and Key Activities
Vulnerability Management Process: from awareness, validation, remediation, till deployment 
Speakers

Youssef Ait Kaddour Chief Cybersecurity Officer, Huawei, Morocco

11:35 – 11:55
Nation stage   Collaboration Key to Enhanced Cyber Resilience in 2023 and Beyond • Cyber security global outlook for 2023 and key takeaways
• Collaboration in cyber security and impact on enhanced cyber resilience
• The Egyptian experience: collaboration initiatives in the banking sector
Speakers

Abeer Khedr Head of Cyber Security, National Bank of Egypt, Egypt

11:55 – 12:15
Nation stage   Egypt Telecom Security & Zero Trust Strategy • A brief on the current telecom security challenges & the increasing pressure on telecoms to mitigate & protect
• Zero Trust Security as a proposed mitigation
• Exploring the National Cyber Security Innovation program
Speakers

Walaa SalahEldeen Group Cyber Security Director, Telecom Egypt, Egypt

12:15 – 12:35
Nation stage   Cyber Resilience: More than Block & Tackle; Managing Attack Surface The attack surface is constantly changing, which can have a significant impact on cyber resilience. Organizations must be vigilant in identifying and mitigating new vulnerabilities as they arise.
Speakers

Mohamed Anwar Chief Information Security Officer, Central Bank Egypt, Egypt

12:35 – 13:10
Nation stage   Panel Discussion: Intelligent Collaboration in a Cyber-transparent World •The potential of AI to help with foresight & threat detection
•Would solving identity and authentication challenges be the next frontier for AI technology?
•Despite the benefits of AI in cyber security, it comes with some risks and has privacy implications - how are entities preparing for the downside?
Moderator

Mayowa Adegoke International Journalist

Speakers

Asma Kotb Cyber Security Manager, Confidential, Egypt

Mohamed Anwar Chief Information Security Officer, Central Bank Egypt, Egypt

Abeer Khedr Head of Cyber Security, National Bank of Egypt, Egypt

Dr. Reham A. Elmayet Telecom Expert, ICT Development Department, League of Arab States, Egypt

Walaa SalahEldeen Group Cyber Security Director, Telecom Egypt, Egypt

Mohamed Amr Madkour Chief Cyber Security Officer & Deputy Chief Solution Officer, Huawei Egypt

13:10 – 13:40
Nation stage   Break  
13:40 – 14:00
Nation stage   OPENING KEYNOTE: Investing in Cybersecurity – The Eminent Need of the Hour Africa’s digital economy is expected to reach $180bn a year by 2025, however, nine out of 10 businesses don’t have cybersecurity frameworks in place. How are CIOs pushing increased investment in cyber infrastructure?•Africa is witnessing a rapid increase in cyber-attacks, what are the steps taken to reinforce cyber defenses?
Speakers

H.E. Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Minister, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigeria

14:00 – 14:20
Nation stage   Strategies for Boosting Africa’s Cyber Resilience
Speakers

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi Director-General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency, Nigeria

14:20 – 14:40
Nation stage   Improving the Overall Cybersecurity Posture Through AI & ML •An overview of cyber threats in the power sector 
•Addressing benefits & challenges through AI & ML
•ROI with real-time detection and response capabilities
Speakers

Sithembile Songo Group Head Information Security, Eskom Holdings, South Africa

14:40 – 15:00
Nation stage   Securing Critical Infrastructure & Strategies for Enterprises Enhancing resilience of African critical infrastructures & integrating preventive strategies toward threat mitigation•The most common modus operandi for cyberattacks is phishing which has leaped to 234% in Africa – what are the public-private partnerships that have been developed to enhance cybersecurity?•AU has identified cybersecurity as a key priority for its Agenda 2063 of transforming Africa – How are AU countries preparing to boost their cyber policies and strategies?
Speakers

Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola Chair, African Union Cyber Security Expert Group, Nigeria

15:00 – 15:20
Nation stage   The World Ahead: Military - Cyber Defence and Future Threat Preparedness •Will cyber change the nature conflict (war-fighting) and what type of defense force will States need to be safe?
•How do we effectively prepare defense forces and enforcement agencies in the cyber age
•What crucial challenges however confronts today’s defense policymakers, industry and practitioners in cyber era? and what can they do about it?
Speakers

Dr. Osei Bonsu Dickson Chief Legal Advisor, Ministry of National Security,Ghana

15:20 – 15:40
Nation stage   The Role of African Governments in the Cybersecurity What can the various National and subnational governments in Africa do to improve their cyber posture in the region
Speakers

Fene Osakwe Council Member, Forbes Technology Council, Nigeria

15:40 – 16:00
Nation stage   Cloud Vulnerability & Crucial Security Strategies Managing hybrid cloud infrastructures – an overview of security & privacy frameworks Rapid adoption of remote working increased the need for cloud-based services – what are the security implications for enterprises? According to IDC research in 2022, most organizations across Africa plan to significantly increase their investments in public and private/hybrid clouds by more than 10 percent over the next 12 to 18 months – How are CISO’s ensuring cloud security is implemented during migration to maintain operational continuity?
Speakers

Prasanna Kumar Burri Group Chief Information Officer, Dangote Group [Nigeria]

16:00 – 16:20
Nation stage   Ghana's Approach to Critical Information Infrastructure Protection The introduction of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) established the Cyber Security Authority (CSA). Section 3 of Act 1038 mandates the Authority to regulate cybersecurity activities and to promote the development of cybersecurity in the country. One critical mandate of the Authority, according to Section 3(c), is to regulate owners of CII, in respect of cybersecurity activities, to ensure a secured and a resilient digital ecosystem.

In this session, we deep dive into the process of regulating CIIs

• Identification and Designation of Ghana's CII owners: This is crucial to the national security and socio-economic well being of the country.
• The Registration Process: The procedure adopted by Ghana seeks to capture and validate critical systems of identified CII owners. This serves as a precursor to continuous monitoring and periodic audits to ensure compliance
Speakers

Emmanuel Biantey Agah Head, Law Enforcement Liaison Unit, Cyber Security Authority, Ghana

16:20 – 17:00
Nation stage   Panel Discussion: Understanding the Threat Landscape - Rise of Ransomware •The continent has 570 million internet users in 2022, which is about 40% of the population. With the potential of digitization, what are the new risks and vulnerabilities?
•Exploring each nation’s current cyber capabilities and overall cybersecurity posture
•How are governments establishing frameworks to regulate the digital ecosystem?
Moderator

Mayowa Adegoke International Journalist

Speakers

Celia Mantshiyane Chief Information Security Officer, MTN (Mobile Telephone Network), South Africa

Harrison Nnaji Group CISO, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria

Unguec Stephen Kang Ilario Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, National Communication Authority (NCA), South Sudan

Sithembile Songo Group Head Information Security, Eskom Holdings, South Africa

Prasanna Kumar Burri Group Chief Information Officer, Dangote Group [Nigeria]

Dr. Hatwib Mugasa Executive Director, National Informational Technology Authority, Uganda

17:00 – 17:10
Nation stage   Closing Remarks
10:30 – 15:50
Nation stage   Headline Sponsor
10:30 – 10:40
Nation stage   Moderator Opening Remarks
Speakers

Omnia Al Saleh Producer and Host, Pulse 95 FM

10:40 – 11:00
Nation stage   OPENING KEYNOTE: Building Capacity to Prepare the Nation for Cyber Threats •With cyber threats around the world not slowing down, Malaysia has experienced its fair share of cyberattacks in the APAC region. How is the nation handling aggressive and sophisticated attacks?
•Managing cyber risks along with coordinated responses for crisis and cyber incidents is becoming a priority for both government & enterprises. How are governments and enterprises stepping up efforts?
•An overview of public-private collaborations which has helped boost cybersecurity posture for the nation as well as individuals
Speakers

Dato’ Ts. Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab CEO, Cybersecurity Malaysia

11:00 – 11:20
Nation stage   Seamless & Secure Payments: A Digital Transformation Imperative
Speakers

Channa de Silva CEO, LankaPay, Sri Lanka

11:20 – 11:40
Nation stage   How to Address the Feeling of 'World is Crumbling’ among Cyber Professionals An overview of investments, technology, talent and how to stay ahead of challenges that constantly surface for the cybersecurity community 
Speakers

Varun Singla SVP & CISO, Airtel, India

11:40 – 12:05
Nation stage   CASE STUDY: Cyber Security Initiatives in Nepal • Development of cybersecurity policies and regulation
• Case study of Cybersecurity regulation of telecommunication industry
Speakers

Roja Kiran Basukala Deputy Director, Telecommunications Authority & Vice President, Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation, Nepal

12:05 – 12:25
Nation stage   Cybersecurity for the Board Governance Cybersecurity is currently among the top-most priorities for any organization, and it is now being included as a key agenda in any forward-thinking company Board. Today's board thus needs a stronger foundation to support in building a cyber-resilient organization while driving strategic goals of the business. The session would focus on to aid the Board for such understanding and to facilitate the adoption of the same.
Speakers

Maruf Ahmed President, Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), Bangladesh Chapter, Bangladesh

12:25 – 12:50
Nation stage   Fireside Chat: The Journey of Developing the Cyber Defense In the Philippines The adoption of cyber defense posture in the Philippines has been significant to defend the nation across all domains. A deep dive into talent training, awareness and cyber for peace initiatives. 
Moderator

Omnia Al Saleh Radio host and EMCEE

Speakers

Lieutenant Colonel Francel Margareth Taborlupa Battalion Commander, 7th Signal Bn, Army Signal Regiment, Philippine Army

12:50 – 13:10
Nation stage   CASE STUDY: Deep Dive into the Ransomware Attack and How the Team Maintained Business Continuity
Speakers

Nauman Yaqoob Chief Information Officer, Nishat Group, Pakistan

13:10 – 14:00
Nation stage   Panel Discussion: Data Protection & Security - Data Led Approach and Governance •Understanding business responsibility in the age of digital transformation - Governance on data protection & business innovations
•Are organizations in the region spending enough to build capacity on cyber infrastructure? How are organizations being cyber ready?
• Exploring effective methods for protecting most sensitive assets within organizations
• As cyber experts, what are your thoughts on the rise of Deepfakes and the future of it? How do you foresee the trouble this malware will cause?
Moderator

Syed Abdul Qadir Executive Director, A. F. Ferguson & Co. Chartered Accountants, Pakistan

Speakers

Dr Deepak Kumar Sr. Cyber Intelligence & Digital Forensics Expert, India

Syed Ubaid Ali Jafri Head of Cyber Defense and Offensive Security Information Security, Habib Bank Limited, Pakistan

Nauman Yaqoob Chief Information Officer, Nishat Group, Pakistan

Roja Kiran Basukala Deputy Director, Telecommunications Authority & Vice President, Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation, Nepal

14:00 – 14:20
Nation stage   Developing Cybersecurity Safeguards & Building Capacity With a vision to transform the country into a knowledge-based society, Nepal has embarked its journey into “Digital Nepal”. The thriving Internet based services both internally and externally, the Government has promoted efficiency, transparency and openness which now requires premier cybersecurity safeguards. This rapid growth of ICT and equally rapid adoption of technology by citizens has however created ever-evolving digital challenges. We will look into the challenges and vulnerabilities being dealt at the epicenter of government datacenters
Speakers

Safal Shrestha, Deputy Director, National Information Technology Center, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Nepal

14:20 – 14:35
Nation stage   CASE STUDY: of the Indian Cyber Security Landscape - Creating a Strong Cyber Ecosystem A multipronged approach to build a cyber ecosystem through institutional mechanisms, boosting the startup ecosystem and encouraging public private partnerships for spurring innovation
Speakers

Atul Kumar Lead – Government Initiatives, Data Security Council of India

14:35 – 14:55
Nation stage   Cyber resiliency of Sri Lanka’s BFSI Sector - Envisioning a Secure and Resilient Digital Banking in Sri Lanka
Speakers

Suresh Emmanuel Chief Information Security Officer, Hatton National Bank, Sri Lanka

14:55 – 15:40
Nation stage   Panel Discussion: Upgrading the First Line of Defense • Challenges in Cyber security to fight in isolation
• Why building coalitions is critical for digital ecosystem ?
• How can organizations be able build Cyber Resilience to upgrade its first line of Defense ?
Moderator

Maruf Ahmed President, Information Systems Security Association, (ISSA) - Bangladesh Chapter, Bangladesh

Speakers

Dr Deepak Kumar Sr. Cyber Intelligence & Digital Forensics Expert, India

Safal Shrestha, Deputy Director, National Information Technology Center, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Nepal

Channa de Silva CEO, LankaPay, Sri Lanka

Muhammad Abul Kalam Azad Head of Information Security, Eastern Bank Ltd, Bangladesh

Nauman Yaqoob Chief Information Officer, Nishat Group, Pakistan

Sanil Anand Nadkarni CISO, Cummins

15:40 – 15:50
Nation stage   Closing Remarks