Last week, over the course of the 12th and 13th of September, the 3rd Digital Identity & Authentication Summit – in partnership with the UAE Cyber Security Council – came to a conclusion with resounding success.
The summit left in its wake, copious knowledge and insight into the future of this market, supported by a statement made by George Yacoub – Group Director of IT at SEHA, “Digital identity and authentication definitely have the scope for exponential growth.”
The summit featured a diverse lineup of speakers, including industry experts, thought leaders, and government entities. The guest of honor H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti – Head of the Cyber Security Council at the Government of UAE delivered an inspiring address, to all those in attendance, and explored the hidden nuances of biometric technology, along with prioritizing discussions on privacy, security, and trust.
Riveting panel discussions were led on what opportunities and challenges the field of digital identity and authentication continue to present in various sectors within the Middle Eastern market.
While the ethical dilemmas of privacy, security risks and biometrics were discussed in detail, Saqr Al Ali – Information Security Office Director at the Government of Sharjah (Finance Department), said, “Digital Identity will help us feel safer and have more trust in our security systems.”
Intriguing questions were raised, regarding whether or not individuals were beginning to feel overwhelmed with the security procedures in place, Bruno Fonseca – Regional Chief Security Officer at GIG Gulf – led an insightful keynote on the security stack overload, which he embellished with his insight, “Digital Identity is the last line of defense between consumers and cyber criminals; therefore, it will only continue to grow as we become more interconnected (as a market).” An important and impactful thought delivered, behind which the reality of our digital identity and authentication practices lies, and whether the ethical dilemmas are worth exposing business practices and individual safety to digital scrutiny.
Ramesh Ramakrishnan – Chief Information Officer at Zurich Middle East, provided notions during the panel discussion on the importance of balancing convenience and security, “It is important to have mechanisms in place which (aid us) in being seamless. We must ensure we don’t compromise on quality and security because it is always about (protecting) data. Data is the key.” A wealth of knowledge was gathered over the course of the two days at the 3rd Digital Identity & Authentication Summit has shed a marvellous light on digital identity being the future of security, and the face of protection.
This year’s summit was organized by Verve Management and supported by leading solution providers in the region today such as, Keesing Technologies, Keyless, Aware, Signzy, Identy, Imprivata, and Regula, who actively participate in the provision of transformational technologies in the digital identity and authentication arena, and more.
