How is Saudi Arabia advancing strongly in the cybersecurity sector at the global level?

The keen interest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of cyber security is no longer a secret to those interested in the field. It has become a destination for those interested and pioneers in this field around the world, and a stimulus for those interested in it locally. This interest comes in light of the Kingdom’s trend towards digital transformation. To achieve the goals of Vision 2030, which in turn seeks to protect and secure digital people at the highest levels in conjunction with this transformation; This has increased the value of cyber security in it, and stimulated international companies such as (Dragus) to expand in the Kingdom; to be its starting point in the region.

The expansion of major companies in the field of cyber security to Saudi Arabia, led by (Dragus)

Dragos is one of the world’s leading companies in the field of cyber security and is headquartered in the United States, it provides its services in many countries of the world, as it decided to expand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Robert M. Lee, CEO of Dragos, confirms that his company’s expansion in Saudi Arabia came to meet the growing demand in the Kingdom and the Middle East region for technologies and industrial cybersecurity services in the sectors: energy, industry, mining, and logistics. These sectors will be protected by providing Partners with industrial control systems that provide real-time, reliable monitoring.

The CEO of Dragos also explained in statements to the world of technology that the protection of these sectors will be by providing companies and institutions with industrial control systems that provide immediate and reliable monitoring, with the ability to respond to cyber incidents in industrial control systems and operational technologies.

Allocate huge budgets to invest in cyber security

The Kingdom’s interest in the technologies and services of industrial control systems, operational technologies, and cybersecurity in the Kingdom last year 2020 contributed to allocating a budget of 102 billion riyals ($27.8 billion) for security and administrative areas, including cybersecurity. Global forecasts indicate that the Saudi cybersecurity market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.5% between 2018 and 2023; Thus, it became the largest market for cyber security in the Middle East.

Robert M. Lee notes: “The Kingdom has been alerted to the dangers of cyber security; Because of the recovery it is witnessing in various fields; This made it vulnerable to all methods of cyber threats such as ransomware, in addition to threats that affect information security and operational technology environments in the region.”

A necessity for companies that rely on industrial processes

It can be said that industrial cybersecurity is a cornerstone for companies that rely on industrial processes to conduct their core business. To be able to address cyber risks. This is due to the fact that CEOs in this digital age are pushing their organizations and companies to adopt advanced technology; To increase productivity, efficiency, quality, and safety; Which increases and exacerbates cyber risks.

Global statistics underscore the growing importance of industrial cybersecurity, especially with 90% of companies having very limited or no visibility into their operational technology environments, including ICS networks, assets, and the flow of information between them. Statistics also show that 88% of companies have weak security perimeters in industrial control systems networks; This makes them an easy target for cyber attacks.

CEO Dragos comments: “We have a mission to protect civilizations from those who try to disrupt the industrial infrastructure we depend on every day. We provide our partners with technologies and services in industrial control systems and operational technologies, help our customers protect against cyberattacks, and acquire Insights into their environment for industrial control systems and operational technologies to monitor and control—and maintain flexibility.”

As for the value that Dragos will bring to the Kingdom, he says: “Technology and expertise at the global level are not limited to helping industrial companies meet cybersecurity requirements and challenges in the future, but also ensure that Saudi citizens know our insightful vision so that we can deal with these challenges as partners.”.

Finally, (Dragus) will develop and train qualified talents and competencies in the environment of industrial control systems, and operational technologies; To enhance its presence in Saudi Arabia and the region, and its training efforts will be in the form of organized lessons, and the transfer of knowledge between its experts and clients, with an educational experience and practical efforts in the field; You will be able to prepare a workforce of experts; To meet the requirements of industrial cybersecurity, as described by the company’s president.