Doha, Qatar – SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certification announces SANS Doha May 2024 from 18-23 May at the InterContinental Doha - the City. The training program offers three specialized courses that will equip participants with the skills required to secure OT/IoT systems, detect and remediate incidents, and build strong strategies for cloud and on-prem platforms.

In 2023, around 18% of Qatari businesses experienced a cybersecurity breach, with 5% enduring more than five incidents, each costing an estimated average of approximately US$4.94 million

“To combat these attacks and meet evolving industry demands, SANS Doha provides a foundational framework of standardized skills and knowledge tailored for industrial cybersecurity professionals. Designed to upskill the workforce tasked with safeguarding and maintaining vital operational control systems, it ensures they are equipped to uphold safety, security, and resilience against both existing and emerging cyber threats," says Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, at SANS Institute. “We aim to empower professionals to develop dynamic incident response protocols, alongside advanced abilities to detect, counter, and recover from a diverse array of threats within enterprise networks. This includes adept handling of challenges posed by APT nation-state adversaries, organized crime syndicates, and hacktivists.”

SANS Doha May 2024 will offer three specialized courses through both in-person training and simultaneous live online sessions: SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling; FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics and ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials.

SEC504 covers the necessary expertise for conducting thorough incident response investigations, by developing dynamic response methodologies, threat intelligence, and defensive tactics applicable to both cloud-based and on-premises platforms.

For professionals interested in advancing their skills in threat hunting and forensic analysis, FOR508 explores investigative techniques and tools. Whether grappling with a data breach, malware incursion, or any other cyber threat, a well-defined incident response plan is indispensable. Participants will learn how to effectively hunt, detect, and contain various adversaries, while also learning strategies for incident remediation.

ICS410 stands as a critical course spotlighting industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA security, both pivotal components of modern digital infrastructure. Participants will acquire cyber-secure-aware engineering practices and how to provide real-time support for control system IT/OT operations.

“We are also pleased to see the nation’s efforts towards proactively building its cyber talent capabilities and enhancing digital literacy – from early stages of education, with Qatar's National Cyber Security Agency implementing the 'Educational Cybersecurity Curricula' in 170 private schools, as well as training recent graduates, to investing in the skills of existing cyber professionals and retraining employees through programs such as SANS Doha May,” continues Baltagi. “We are happy to be partners in the nation’s commitment to securing its digital infrastructure and building a resilient cyber ecosystem, aligned with various government initiatives such as the National Cyber Security Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.”

SANS will also host a Community Night in Doha on May 20 - ‘Exploring the Link Between Corruption and Cybercrime’. Led by Jason Jordaan, SANS Principal Instructor, the session will explore how corruption related to cybercrime works, how organised crime groups identify targets, and talk about a case study that the presenter was involved in, where a cybercrime group used corruption to pull off a major hack of several government departments.

For more information and to register for SANS Doha May 2024 in person or online, please click here. To register for the SANS Doha May Community Night, please visit: https://www.sans.org/mlp/community-night-doha-may-2024/

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About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions worldwide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 60 courses at in-person and virtual cybersecurity events and OnDemand. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 35 hands-on technical certifications in cybersecurity. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master’s and bachelor’s degrees, graduate certificates, and an undergraduate certificate in cybersecurity. SANS Security Awareness, a division of SANS, provides organizations with a complete and comprehensive security awareness solution, enabling them to manage their “human” cybersecurity risk easily and effectively. SANS also delivers a wide variety of free resources to the InfoSec community, including consensus projects, research reports, webcasts, podcasts, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system–the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to support and educate the global information security community. www.sans.org