Security Middle East Conference panel explores cybersecurity and third-party risk management

One of the discussion panels of the Security Middle East Conference addressed the pressing issues surrounding today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Titled “Protecting Your Digital Assets: Third-Party Risk Management Strategies for the Middle East’s Evolving Threats,” this session brought together an expert panel that tackled significant challenges, regulatory demands, and industry-specific risks.

The goal was to equip the audience with actionable strategies for robust risk assessment, thorough due diligence, effective security controls, and swift incident response.

The expert panellists included Betania Allo, a Cyber Policy and Law Expert and former official with the UN and NEOM; Dr. Nasser Alamri, Cybersecurity Executive Director at the Institute of Public Administration in Saudi Arabia; and Dr. Faisal Abdulaziz Alfouzan, PhD, Director of Cybersecurity. The session was skilfully moderated by Daniel Norman, Regional Director for EMEA at the Information Security Forum.

During the session, Dr. Alamri stressed the importance of engaging all stakeholders in the conversation surrounding cybersecurity, stating, “It is vital that all stakeholders are engaged on the topic—everyone needs to be in one meeting.”

Betania Allo echoed this sentiment, highlighting the necessity of cross-functional teams: “Allow me to stress the importance of cross-functional teams. That is extremely important to involve everyone. Everyone takes a seat to find a solution to a problem as quickly as possible.”

The discussion explored the pressing need for organisations to enhance their risk assessment practices, as Dr. Faisal Abdulaziz Alfouzan pointed out that while organisations typically conduct risk assessments biannually following regulatory requirements, there’s a growing need for more frequent evaluations.

The topic of artificial intelligence was also brought into focus, with Betania acknowledging that transparency in AI is crucial. She urged the audience to question AI vendors about their failure risks and model update cycles, asking, “Are we asking the right questions?”

Daniel Norman added, “Eventually, we move the conversation from third-party continuity to business longevity.” Dr. Faisal also touched on the theme of joint responsibility, emphasising that, in his extensive experience in cybersecurity, no third party has ever been solely responsible: “Everyone is responsible together.”

Taking a regional perspective, Betania elaborated on the leverage that Saudi Arabia holds in the cybersecurity space, suggesting, “You can have higher expectations. You can cover specific metrics, accountability, audits, and understanding AI usage.”

In his role within the Information Security Forum, Daniel explained their aim to provide businesses with the transparency needed to support their decision-making processes: “If we have done a good risk assessment, it is then up to them to make the final decision regarding their vendors.” Dr. Alamri then added that due diligence should also be included in the lifecycle, alongside risk assessment.

Addressing such a vast topic like cybersecurity in a limited timeframe is never easy, but a huge thank you goes to Betania Allo, Dr. Nasser Alamri, Dr. Faisal Abdulaziz Alfouzan, and Daniel Norman for sharing a wealth of information during this insightful session.

Watch the full discussion.