Dubai, United Arab Emirates – SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certifications is returning to the UAE with SANS Gulf Region 2024, the GCC region’s largest cybersecurity training event, held at the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Beach Resort (November 2 - 21). Featuring 15 engaging courses, this edition of Gulf Region offers hands-on training led by industry experts. Participants can look forward to the chance to learn and collaborate with a global network of cybersecurity practitioners, gaining valuable insights and knowledge sharing within the community.

This year the UAE was ranked in the top global category for cybersecurity by the International Telecommunication Union's Global Cybersecurity Index, and the country’s cybersecurity market size is projected to contribute a forecasted market value of around $13 billion by 2027 to the region's overall digital economy.

Moreover, organizations in the UAE are embracing AI at a rapid pace, driven by the technology’s potential to enhance efficiency and innovation. However, many are adopting AI without fully understanding the associated risks, and an inadequate implementation of AI-based defenses can mean that these organizations are vulnerable to AI cyberattacks. Without proper knowledge and protocols in place, attackers can manipulate AI systems, breach security measures, and compromise sensitive data, highlighting the need for a more informed and cautious approach to AI integration in business operations.

“As organizations in the UAE continue to digitalize and integrate AI into cybersecurity strategies, the attack surface for cyber threats expands. With the increasing complexity of AI-driven threats, upskilling is vital not just for individual or business growth, but also for economic progress and national security,” says Ned Baltagi, Managing Director – Middle East, Turkey and Africa, SANS Institute. “Training programs such as SANS Gulf Region enable organizations to build confident security teams, capable of developing well-rounded, adaptable and proactive defenses. While AI today holds immense promise for enhancing the Middle East’s cybersecurity and protecting critical infrastructure, new technologies will always lead to new threats – it’s important to respond before the impact.”

SANS Gulf Region brings 15 specialized and relevant courses to the Middle East, including:

  • FOR608: Enterprise-Class Incident Response & Threat Hunting
  • FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics
  • SEC595: Applied Data Science and AI/Machine Learning for Cybersecurity Professionals
  • SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing
  • SEC660: Advanced Penetration Testing, Exploit Writing, and Ethical Hacking

All courses are offered both in-person and live online, so participants can choose what style of learning suits them best.

Three SANS Community Night Talks will be held in conjunction with SANS Gulf Region. On November 4, Nik Alleyne will discuss using machine learning to reduce alert fatigue by focusing on true positives in security alerts. On November 11, Chris Dale will explore how agile techniques are transforming traditional penetration testing in offensive security operations. Lastly, on November 18, Michael Hoffman will review the SANS ICS Five Critical Controls and how organizations can assess their effectiveness in improving ICS/OT cybersecurity. All sessions will run from 5:30 to 6:30 PM (GST).

Additionally, there will be two Core NetWars Tournaments – November 5-6 and November 19-20, from 6:30 - 9:30 PM each evening. The DFIR NetWars Tournament is scheduled for November 12-13, also from 6:30 - 9:30 PM.

For more details on the courses and to register for SANS Gulf Region 2024, please visit: https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-training-events/gulf-region-2024/

To learn more about the SANS Gulf Region 2024 Community Night Talks and register, click here: https://www.sans.org/mlp/community-night-gulf-region-november-2024/ 

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