GEC Security Symposium Concludes
The second edition of GEC Security Symposium and CISO Awards 2019 held in association with Dubai Police Cybercrime Department eCrime concluded on a grand note on 4th September 2019 at The Address Boulevard Dubai. The event was addressed by Ms. Anushree Dixit, Editor, GEC Media Group.
The Guest of Honor for the event – Brigadier Jamal Al Jallaf, Director of Dubai Police Cybercrime Department expressed his pleasure in associating with The Cyber Sentinels Magazine and spoke about the critical role played by the e-crime platform in combatting and addressing cybercrimes that often goes under the wraps.
The Symposium witnessed some interesting presentations from the end customers and solution providers.
The prominent CISO speakers were – Dr Erdal Ozkaya, Standard Chartered Bank, Adam El Adama, ADNOC Sour Gas, Mohammed Shakeel Ahmed, Abu Dhabi Aviation, Bilal Ahmad Fashoo, Union Co-Operative Society. The speakers from the solution providers were Marc Leipoldt, SAI Global, Ashith Piriyattiath, Guardian One Technologies, Tarek Kuzbari, Bitdefender. The event also witnessed an interesting presentation from Saurabh Verma, Frost and Sullivan.
The GEC Security Symposium also had an excellent Power Panel Session moderated by Mr. Arun Shankar, Editor, Business Transformation. The key panelists were Mansoor Mughal, Dubai Financial Market, Hasan Isam Naser Muhi, Kuwait Finance House Bahrain, Salman Sarfraz, Sky News Arabia and Saurabh Verma, Frost and Sullivan. The power panel was successful in captivating and engaging the audience views as well.
The Symposium ended by honouring the top CISOs of the region.
We would like to congratulate all the winners of 2019
| Name | Organization |
| Dr. Erdal Ozkaya | Standard Chartered Bank |
| Adam El Adama | ADNOC Sour Gas |
| Illyas Kooliyankal | ADIB |
| Mohammed Shakeel Ahmed | Abu Dhabi Aviation |
| George Eapen | Petrofac |
| Ahmed Al Lawati | Ooredoo Oman |
| Hasan Isam Naser Muhi | Kuwait Finance House Bahrain |
| Mansoor Mughal | Dubai Financial Market |
| Vivek Gupta | GEMS Education |
| Srinivas Mathala | OSN (Gulf DTH FZ LLC) |
| Rakesh Narang | Aldar Properties |
| Bittu Balakrishnan | Adyard Abu Dhabi LLC |
| Irshad Mohammed | VPS Healthcare |
| Shailesh Mani | Flemingo International |
| Parvez Ahmad | Emirates Nets System |
| Safdar Zaman | Nakheel PJSC |
| Abubakar Arshad | Batelco |
| Ross McNaughton | Ahli United Bank |
| Jurageswaran Shetty | Gulftainer Company Ltd. |
| Bilal Ahmad | Union Co-Operative Society |
| Mohammed Mudasar | ETA Facilities Management |
The sponsors and partners for the 2019 edition of the GEC Security Symposium were;
Platinum Sponsors – SAI Global, BeyondTrust
Gold Sponsor – Bitdefender
Silver Sponsors – Teamviewer, VAD Technologies, Guardian One Technologies, Veritas
Supporting Sponsors – Kingston, Finesse, Screencheck, A10 Networks
Dr Erdal Ozkaya in the News:
https://www.erdalozkaya.com/category/about-erdal-ozkaya/media/
CISO Insight
Cybersecurity is not a product you buy or a project you complete — it is a continuous operational discipline. The organisations that achieve genuine security maturity embed security thinking into every business decision, invest in people and processes alongside technology, and build resilience for the inevitable day when preventive controls fail.
The Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape
The threat landscape continues to evolve at a pace that challenges even well-resourced security teams. AI-powered attacks, supply chain compromises, ransomware-as-a-service, and state-sponsored campaigns create a multi-dimensional threat environment no single technology can address. Organisations that defend most effectively take a risk-based approach — understanding which assets are most critical, which threats are most likely, and where investments will have the greatest impact. For CISOs, translating this complexity into actionable strategy requires quantifying cyber risk in business terms, prioritising based on risk reduction, and communicating in language that resonates with non-technical stakeholders.
Building a Defence-in-Depth Strategy
Effective cybersecurity requires layered defences addressing the full attack lifecycle — from reconnaissance through exfiltration. No single control is sufficient; every control can be bypassed by sufficiently motivated adversaries. The goal is creating enough layers that attackers must overcome multiple independent defences, while ensuring detection and response capabilities identify and contain breaches before catastrophic damage. The most common mistake organisations make is treating security as a technology problem rather than a business risk management discipline. The fundamentals — patch management, access control, security awareness, incident response planning — prevent more breaches than any advanced technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest cybersecurity mistake organisations make?
Buying security tools without coherent strategy, skipping basic hygiene in favour of advanced solutions, and failing to invest in people and processes. The fundamentals prevent more breaches than advanced technology.
How should CISOs prioritise security investments?
Start with risk assessment identifying critical assets and likely threats. Prioritise controls for highest-risk scenarios. Ensure basic hygiene is solid before investing in advanced capabilities. Use NIST CSF or CIS Controls to structure your programme and measure progress with board-friendly metrics.
Related reading: Visit our Cyber Resilience Hub or download the CISO Toolkit for governance templates.