As Saudi Vision 2030 drives economic diversification, SANS Riyadh February 2025 prepares cybersecurity leaders for the digital future
SANS Institute, has announced its first training event in Saudi Arabia for 2025 – SANS Riyadh February 2025, set to take place from February 8 – 13, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya. Targeting critical sectors such as banking, energy, and government, SANS Riyadh aims to empower professionals with the practical skills necessary to combat the growing complexity of cyber threats in the Kingdom and across the Middle East.
As Saudi Arabia reduces its reliance on oil, cybersecurity is a major facet of its long-term economic strategy. In 2024, Saudi Arabia witnessed a surge in cyber threats across various sectors. According to a report by SOCRadar, Dark Web activities involved 72 threat actors making 166 postings, focusing on selling compromised data and credentials, highlighting the urgent need for advanced data protection measures. The Retail Trade sector was the most targeted, accounting for nearly 23% of these activities. Additionally, the Kingdom experienced 88 ransomware incidents, primarily targeting manufacturing, information, and construction industries, with groups like LockBit 3.0 and Cl0p dominating the landscape. Events such as SANS Riyadh contribute to this growth and help professionals sharpen their skills to strengthen the defenses that protect critical infrastructure across the Kingdom and the region.
SANS Riyadh February 2025 offers three courses, tailored for both in-person and online participation, allowing flexibility for attendees.
LDR514: Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership will equip IT and security professionals with the tools to develop and implement comprehensive cybersecurity strategies, including policies and leadership skills, and participants will benefit from hands-on experience with business case studies, real-world scenarios, and executive presentations.
LDR414: SANS Training Program for CISSP® Certification is an accelerated training program designed to prepare students for the CISSP® exam, focusing on the 8 domains of knowledge defined by (ISC)². The course will provide in-depth coverage of each domain, sharpening analytical and technical skills necessary to pass the exam and become a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®).
SEC566: Implementing and Auditing CIS Controls will teach students how to defend systems by implementing the Center for Internet Security’s (CIS) Controls, focusing on managing and assessing cybersecurity hygiene, and enabling professionals to apply proven security measures across complex networks, including cloud environments.
“As Saudi Arabia and the Middle East accelerate their digital and AI initiatives over and above global standards, cybersecurity teams need to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats.” said Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East, Africa and Turkey at SANS Institute. “SANS Riyadh February 2025 is more than a training event, it’s a gateway for professionals to gain real-world expertise and insights directly from top practitioners in the field.”
Attendees and professionals are also invited to the SANS Community Night session on 10 February, featuring a presentation on Enterprise Security Architecture by Principal Instructor Mark Williams. This interactive session will provide insights into the evolution of enterprise security architecture and its application in today’s cybersecurity landscape.
For more information and to register for SANS Riyadh February 2025, please visit.
