Group-IB, is delighted to announce that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Arab Emirates Cyber Security Council, led by the Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti. The agreement was signed on October 16, 2023 at GITEX 2023 in Dubai by H. E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti, Group-IB’s Regional Sales Director MEA, Ashraf Koheil.
The agreement sees the signatories agree on the need to cooperate closely, and join efforts and capabilities in order to develop and disseminate new technologies that will secure the digital space. The signatories will also collaborate closely on incident response activities, indicative of the UAE Cyber Security Council and H. E. Dr Al Kuwaiti’s continuous engagement with the country’s private sector to promote a thriving cybersecurity ecosystem that enhances the safety and security of the country’s residents.
The UAE Cyber Security Council and Group-IB have committed to establish a knowledge-sharing framework that will see all parties share information on the latest information security threats, indicators of compromise, and novel tactics, techniques, and procedures leveraged by cybercriminals targeting the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region (META). This framework also has an educational track, creating a pathway for Group-IB experts to deliver tailored cybersecurity training to public sector organizations in the United Arab Emirates.
This memorandum of understanding also establishes a strategic channel for government organizations in the United Arab Emirates to gain access to Group-IB’s comprehensive suite of cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, including Threat Intelligence, Managed XDR, Fraud Protection, and Digital Risk Protection. Group-IB solutions, forged from the company’s more than two decades of experience of preventing digital crime, have been recognized as some of the best in class by multiple independent analyst agencies.
H. E. Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the Cyber Security Council of the United Arab Emirates Government, said that the cooperation with Group-IB, a global cybersecurity leader dedicated to detecting, preventing and investigating cyberattacks, online fraud and intellectual property infringement, falls within the framework of the Council’s keenness to enhance cyber security awareness culture in workplaces. Cyber security awareness enhances ways to confront cyber challenges and protect the privacy of digital information services and the IT sector in general.
Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti stressed the importance of protecting data, developing the skills of work teams in the field of digital safety, and the ability to respond to any challenges related to data and the digital sector. He indicated that the Cyber Security Council is building a robust base to establish a safe and solid infrastructure for cybersecurity in the UAE. The Council intends to make this topic an integral part of the internal work culture for institutions and individuals. This change represents an embodiment of the leadership’s vision and the UAE’s proactive approach towards addressing the various challenges imposed by fast-paced digital technology transformation.
Dr. Al Kuwaiti stressed that cooperation with Group-IB comes in response to the rapid technological development in our contemporary world. This rapid development requires that we ensure information security and data privacy.
“Group-IB is thrilled to join forces with the UAE Cyber Security Council and we believe this to be a landmark agreement for the company in the MEA region,” Ashraf Koheil, Regional Sales Director MEA at Group-IB said. “By leveraging the extensive experience and expertise of the UAE Cyber Security Council, which has an unfaltering commitment to protect the UAE populace, in line with the UAE government’s strategic vision for the nation, Group-IB is confident that this agreement will provide a step change in digital security for the United Arab Emirates. Group-IB would like to express its appreciation to the UAE Cyber Security Council and H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti for their cooperation throughout the negotiation process.”
Group-IB opened the doors to its MEA-based Digital Crime Resistance Center in May 2021. The United Arab Emirates was chosen to be the site of Group-IB’s MEA HQ due to the country’s position as a key global player in cross-border efforts to combat cybercrime. This regional HQ offers all core Group-IB technological competencies and is staffed by subject-matter experts from the company’s key business units: hi-tech crime investigations, Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) lab, Threat Intelligence, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GIB), Fraud Protection teams, and Digital Risk Protection department. In September 2023, Group-IB launched a new innovative education hub at its Dubai-based Digital Crime Resistance Center.
