Dubai — Group-IB, a global cybersecurity leader, is delighted to announce that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Arab Emirates Cyber Security Council, led by the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti. The agreement was signed on October 16, 2023 at GITEX 2023 in Dubai by H. E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti, Group-IB’s Regional Sales Director MEA, Ashraf Koheil.

The agreement sees the signatories agree on the need to cooperate closely, and join efforts and capabilities in order to develop and disseminate new technologies that will secure the digital space. The signatories will also collaborate closely on incident response activities, indicative of the UAE Cyber Security Council and H. E. Dr Al Kuwaiti’s continuous engagement with the country’s private sector to promote a thriving cybersecurity ecosystem that enhances the safety and security of the country’s residents.

Figure 1. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti and Ashraf Koheil, Regional Sales Director MEA at Group-IB.

The UAE Cyber Security Council and Group-IB have committed to establish a knowledge-sharing framework that will see all parties share information on the latest information security threats, indicators of compromise, and novel tactics, techniques, and procedures leveraged by cybercriminals targeting the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region (META). This framework also has an educational track, creating a pathway for Group-IB experts to deliver tailored cybersecurity training to public sector organizations in the United Arab Emirates.

This memorandum of understanding also establishes a strategic channel for government organizations in the United Arab Emirates to gain access to Group-IB's comprehensive suite of cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, including Threat Intelligence, Managed XDR, Fraud Protection, and Digital Risk Protection. Group-IB solutions, forged from the company’s more than two decades of experience of preventing digital crime, have been recognized as some of the best in class by multiple independent analyst agencies.

H. E. Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the Cyber Security Council of the United Arab Emirates Government, said that the cooperation with Group-IB, a global cybersecurity leader dedicated to detecting, preventing and investigating cyberattacks, online fraud and intellectual property infringement, falls within the framework of the Council’s keenness to enhance cyber security awareness culture in workplaces. Cyber security awareness enhances ways to confront cyber challenges and protect the privacy of digital information services and the IT sector in general.

Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti stressed the importance of protecting data, developing the skills of work teams in the field of digital safety, and the ability to respond to any challenges related to data and the digital sector. He indicated that the Cyber Security Council is building a robust base to establish a safe and solid infrastructure for cybersecurity in the UAE. The Council intends to make this topic an integral part of the internal work culture for institutions and individuals. This change represents an embodiment of the leadership’s vision and the UAE’s proactive approach towards addressing the various challenges imposed by fast-paced digital technology transformation.

Dr. Al Kuwaiti stressed that cooperation with Group-IB comes in response to the rapid technological development in our contemporary world. This rapid development requires that we ensure information security and data privacy.

“Group-IB is thrilled to join forces with the UAE Cyber Security Council and we believe this to be a landmark agreement for the company in the MEA region,” Ashraf Koheil, Regional Sales Director MEA at Group-IB said. “By leveraging the extensive experience and expertise of the UAE Cyber Security Council, which has an unfaltering commitment to protect the UAE populace, in line with the UAE government’s strategic vision for the nation, Group-IB is confident that this agreement will provide a step change in digital security for the United Arab Emirates. Group-IB would like to express its appreciation to the UAE Cyber Security Council and H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti for their cooperation throughout the negotiation process.”

Group-IB opened the doors to its MEA-based Digital Crime Resistance Center in May 2021. The United Arab Emirates was chosen to be the site of Group-IB’s MEA HQ due to the country’s position as a key global player in cross-border efforts to combat cybercrime. This regional HQ offers all core Group-IB technological competencies and is staffed by subject-matter experts from the company’s key business units: hi-tech crime investigations, Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) lab, Threat Intelligence, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GIB), Fraud Protection teams, and Digital Risk Protection department. In September 2023, Group-IB launched a new innovative education hub at its Dubai-based Digital Crime Resistance Center.

About UAE Cyber Security Council

The Cyber Security Council embodies the forward-looking vision of the wise leadership and the UAE proactive approach in dealing with various challenges posed by the accelerating digital technologies through specialized and effective entities which are able to provide digital protection to advanced infrastructure, and ensure business continuity and the regular provision of services in all economic, educational, health and social fields.

The Council is mandated with drafting and proposing legislation, policies and standards to enhance cyber security for all targeted sectors in the country, presenting them to the Council of Ministers for approval and following up their implementation in coordination with the concerned authorities, in addition to preparing, developing and updating the UAE’s national cyber security strategy and an integrated national response plan.

The Council implements a 5-pillar strategy: 1) building capacity, making policies, enhancing governance, building personal capabilities, programs, curricula and universities, and building technical capabilities with strategic partners; 2) utilizing these capabilities to protect and defend; 3) raising awareness and spreading the culture of cybersecurity; 4) responding to cyber incidents; and 5) cooperation at all levels, starting with GCC countries, Arab countries up to all countries of the world, in accordance with the UN resolutions concerning digital security incident response centers and teams.

About Group-IB

Group-IB, with its headquarters in Singapore, is one of the leading solutions providers dedicated to detecting and preventing cyberattacks, investigating high-tech crimes, identifying online fraud, and protecting intellectual property. The company’s Threat Intelligence and Research Centers are located in the Middle East (Dubai), Asia-Pacific (Singapore), and Europe (Amsterdam).

Group-IB’s Unified Risk Platform is an ecosystem of solutions that understands each organization’s threat profile and tailors defenses against them in real-time from a single interface. The Unified Risk Platform provides complete coverage of the cyber response chain. Group-IB’s products and services consolidated in Group-IB’s Unified Risk Platform include Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence, Managed XDR, Digital Risk Protection, Fraud Protection, Attack Surface Management, Business Email Protection, Audit & Consulting, Education & Training, Digital Forensics & Incident Response, Managed Detection & Response, and High-Tech Crime Investigations.

Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence system has been named one of the best in its class by Forrester and IDC. Group-IB’s Managed XDR, intended for proactively searching for and protecting against complex and previously unknown cyber threats, has been recognized as one of the market leaders in the Network Detection and Response category by KuppingerCole Analysts AG, the leading European analyst agency, while Group-IB itself has been recognized as a Product Leader and an Innovation Leader.

Group-IB was granted Frost & Sullivan’s Innovation Excellence award for Digital Risk Protection (DRP), an Al-driven platform for identifying and mitigating digital risks and counteracting brand impersonation attacks, with the company’s patented technologies at its core. Group-IB’s technological leadership and R&D capabilities are built on the company’s 20 years of hands-on experience in cybercrime investigations worldwide and over 70,000 hours of cybersecurity incident response accumulated in our leading DFIR Laboratory, High-Tech Crime Investigations Department, and round-the-clock CERT-GIB.

Group-IB is an active partner in global investigations led by international law enforcement organizations such as Europol and INTERPOL. Group-IB is also a member of the Europol European Cybercrime Centre’s (EC3) Advisory Group on Internet Security, which was created to foster closer cooperation between Europol and its leading non-law enforcement partners.

Group-IB's experience in threat hunting and cyber intelligence has been fused into an ecosystem of highly sophisticated software and hardware solutions designed to monitor, identify, and prevent cyberattacks. Group-IB's mission is to protect its clients in cyberspace every day by creating and leveraging innovative solutions and services.

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