Defense, preparedness and response to protect critical infrastructure
Intersec presented the industry’s most comprehensive showcase to date as it brought together regional and international government services, law enforcement, civil defense, emergency services, oil, gas, energy, transport, and telecommunications as they form key pillars of nations’ economic infrastructure.
This year’s launch of the Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure Conference ensured that stakeholders have a place to discuss keeping infrastructure assets safe and protected against physical harm and cyber-attacks. This year’s theme is perfectly placed to compass “Defending, preparing, responding and building resilience”.
The conference addressed topics such as: smart cities security, how we might protect critical infrastructure assets and systems against cyber-attacks, ICSs, climate risks issues, global supply chains and the future of 5G networks. In addition, we addressed national emergency preparedness, physical security of infrastructure and sector specific opportunities to help industry prepare, defend, and respond to disruption.
Past Agenda
Conference Day 1 - Sunday 16 January 2022
| WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE BETTER | |
| 10:15-10:55 | Registration and Networking |
| 10:55-11:00 | Session chair welcome Sharief Fahmy, Executive Director, Kaman Corporation |
| 11:00-11:40 | Panel Discussion Building safety mechanisms into critical infrastructure - Anticipating threats and hazards - A shared responsibility between stakeholders to maintain and improve security and resilience of infrastructure - Promoting engagement at all levels of government and industry to foster mutual understanding, information sharing and practical exchanges that enable the success of national preparedness efforts Moderator: John Cowling, Specialist in Security across Critical Infrastructure and Transport sectors Speakers Tonu Tammer, Executive Director CERT-EE, Estonian Information Systems Authority Gina Osborn, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (Retired) & President, Gina L. Osborn & Associates Professor Paul Poteete, PhD, Associate Professor, Computer Science and Cybersecurity, Geneva College |
| 11:40-12:00 | Mitigating possible disruption of economic and social activities by building resilience in critical infrastructure assets - Addressing higher dependencies on digital technologies what the world looks like now and in the future - Case study: Demonstrating a large-scale crisis Speaker - Alessandro Bassano, Principal Digital Security Scientist, Technology Innovation Institute Abu Dhabi |
| ENABLING SMARTER AND CONNECTED CITIES, SERVICES AND SYSTEMS | |
| 12:00-12:45 | Chair of the session: Sharief Fahmy, Executive Director, Kaman Corporation Smart Cities panel discussion: The power, the risks, the response - Securing the smart city and its critical infrastructure - What have been the expanding risks in smart cities and how do we defend against threats? - What is the current threat landscape? - What successes have we seen in highly urbanized cities? Moderator: Dr. Fouad Abou Chacra, Senior Specialist - Special Projects and Innovation, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, DEWA Speakers Dr. Marwan Alzarouni, Director of Information Services, Dubai Electronic Security Center Dr. Humaid Alshamsi, Director Artificial Intelligence Application, Abu Dhabi Police Jan Fox, Executive Director, REACH Council for Safe Communities |
| 12:45-13:15 | Networking Lunch |
| 13:15-13:45 | International speaker: Digital security of critical infrastructure and essential services - The effects of growing digital transformation on the resilience of critical infrastructures and essential services - Addresses key issues surrounding digital security of critical infrastructure and how to navigate them Tonu Tammer, Executive Director CERT-EE, Estonian Information Systems Authority |
| ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL THREATS | |
| 13:45-14:30 | Chair of the session: Sharief Fahmy, Executive Director, Kaman Corporation Panel discussion Global threats trends and analysis: cross boarder and cross-sector interdependencies - Examining the evolving threat landscape: Preparing for the challenges of tomorrow - Coordinate, share, monitor, collect, analyse and forecast, national level threats to critical - How can stakeholders take into account globally distributed digital infrastructures (e.g. Cloud computing) as well as potential systemic risk from widespread vulnerabilities (e.g. Meltdown and Spectre)? Moderator: Sharief Fahmy, Executive Director, Kaman Corporation Panelists: William Brown, Director, Crisis and Resilience Consulting, Middle East, Control Risks Virtual: Richard Flint MSyl, Technical and Commercial Lead - Physical Security, Building Research Establishment (BRE) UK Virtual: Simon Whitehouse, Managing Director, SGW |
| 14:30-15:00 | Zero-trust approaches to defend against cyber threats in critical Infrastructure - Zero-trust: a more comprehensive approach to protecting IT and OT networks - A zero-trust mindset at the highest level, along with zero-trust gateways at the nexus of IT and OT - The necessary steps explained Speaker - Simone Vernacchia, Partner, Digital, Cyber security, Resilience and Infrastructure, PwC Middle |
| MITIGATING RISKS TO DEFEND FROM THREATS | |
| 15:00-15:30 | Virtual: Evolution of security strategy in transformational times: asking the right questions - What security, whose security and what is national security? - How to identify and prioritize security threats and opportunities and divide new skills among security institutions and agencies? - What is the rationale for national security strategies? - What are the desirable methodology, processes and elements of national security strategy development? - How to link national security strategy formulation with strategic leadership, national vision and ownership, resources management, civilian oversight, interagency coordination, and external partnership? - What national security strategy development and implementation lessons could countries consider? Speaker - Dr. Sandro Gaycken, Director, Digital Society Institute, Germany |
| 15:30-16:00 | Cybersecurity of Industrial Control Systems - Overview and evolution of industrial control systems (ICS) - ICS cybersecurity risks and impact on critical infrastructure -Mitigation strategies and role of ISA/IEC-62443 standards and product certification in safeguarding critical infrastructure Speaker - Khalid Ansari, Principal Cybersecurity Engineer, FM Approvals |
| 16:00-16:30 | The ICS challenge - Examines what industrial control systems (ICS) and critical infrastructure are - ICS cybersecurity risks and impact - ICS cyber attacks through the ages Moderator - Eng. Ali Alamadi, CEO & Co-Founder, CyberArrow Speakers Muhammad Ali Azeem, Senior Infrastructure & Cyber Security Consulting Engineer, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) Khalid Ansari, Principal Cybersecurity Engineer, FM Approvals Malek Abu Tayah, IT/OT Manager, SUEZ Middle East & Central Asia Virtual: Hani Bani Amer, Technical Director iMETA, AttackIQ |
| 17:30-16:35 |
Closing remarks and end of day 1 |
Conference Day 2: Monday 17 January 2022
| 10:00-10:55 | Registration & Networking |
| 11:55-12:00 | Chair’s welcome Sharief Fahmy, Executive Director, Kaman Corporation |
| SECTOR ANALYSIS: OIL, GAS, ENERGY AND CLIMATE RISK | |
| 12:00-12:45 | Panel Discussion: Defending utilities and other critical assets against climate change - Safeguarding against extreme weather conditions and challenge for stable energy supply - Is global critical infrastructure ready for climate change as we move towards greater cross boarder dependencies? - Preparing capabilities necessary to mitigate and recover from disruptions when they occur Moderator: Eng. Sameh Hablas, Chief Executive Officer, Al Danah Information Systems Panelists Ali Abdulla Al Sadadi, Head of IT, Ministry of Oil, Bahrain Shahab Siddiqui, Global Head of Cyber Security, Petrofac Taha Hussain, Senior Security Engineer, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority - DEWA |
| 12:45-13:15 | Networking Lunch |
| CONTINGENCIES AND RISK-BASED SECURITY STRATEGIES | |
| 13:15-13:40 | Virtual: Worth the risk? Cultivating risk-based security strategies - Find out how risk-based strategies can be applied to vital OT systems - Spend more wisely, and get the most security for your money - Limit the damage cyber criminals can do to your systems when prevention doesn’t work Speaker - Dr. Patrick Noack, Executive Director - Future, Foresight and Imagination, Dubai Future Foundation |
| 13:40:14:10 | Keynote: UAE's Cybersecurity update Speaker - H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Security, United Arab Emirates Government |
| 14:10-15:00 | Panel discussion: Contingency planning as a key to crisis preparedness and response This session will discuss the policies and structures in place that provide a backbone for contingency planning: - Protecting critical infrastructure and vulnerable targets against attacks: how stakeholders stay prepared? - What does a critical facilities protection plan look like? Considerations for large-scale events and pandemic-like disasters - How might we establish an on-going program to implement recommended actions taken from lessons learned? - Case study focusing on resilience improvement and better understanding systemic emergency management risks in order to plan accordingly Moderator: Glen Thomas, Technology & Cyber Practice Partner, Grant Thornton Speakers Dr. Eldar Saljic, Program Director, College of Security and Global Studies, American university in the Emirates Virtual: Dr. Hussain Aldawood, Director of Engineering & Cyber Security, GNS Virtual: Yosi Shavit, Head of ICS Cyber Security Department, Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection |
| 15:00-15:30 | Securing 5G networks and infrastructure from cybersecurity risks - Addressing threats to progressing policy and standards a foundation for securing 5Gs future communications standards - Addressing supply chain risks tied to ICT threats and why we should slow down the pace of deployment to protect the integrity of 5G networks - Securing 5G Systems architecture by keeping an eye on new weaknesses presented by ICT components Speaker - Lt. Col. Dr. Hamad Khalifa Al Nueimi, Head of Telecommunications Section Information Technology Center, Abu Dhabi Police General Head Quarter |
| PROTECTION OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS | |
| 15:30-16:10 | Panel discussion: Developing robust, secure, and resilient transport, logistics and supply chains - Ensuring capital cities and the population can access critical products in critical emergencies – the case for supply chain shortages - How can we modernize legacy systems in the transport and logistics sector? - Where does all the data go? How do we safeguard it against digital security attacks? - Building a resilient ICT supply chain by strengthening: a view of how goods and services flow through countries and various interdependencies Moderator - Smith Gonsalves, Director & Principal Consultant, CyberSmithSECURE Panelists Biju Hameed, Head - Technology Infrastructure Operations Practice, Dubai Airports Tarik Abdulaal, Vice President MEA, Former Gulf Supply Chain Director, Slimstock, Proctor & Gamble Irina Albanese, Head of Innovation Middle East & Africa, DHL |
| 16:10-16:30 | Virtual: Planning for disruptions in the IT managed service industry - Trends reshaping the managed services industry - Why Managed Services Should Be Part of Your Business Continuity Plan - Restoring IT systems and infrastructure after a catastrophic event. Speaker - Dr. Hussain Aldawood, Director of Engineering & Cyber Security, GNS |
| PROTECTING FINANCIAL SYSTEMS | |
| 16:30-17:10 | Panel Session: Digital security risks in the financial sectors - The convergence of regtech to help curb major security gaps - Staying protected while meeting the needs of users and balancing need for high security standards to maintain the integrity of financial systems - What regulation, information-sharing or financial incentives exist? - Challenges in managing cross-board infrastructure, payments, and forex settlement systems Moderator - Simon Bell, Senior Vice President, MENA, Marsh Middle East and Africa Panelists Sultan Altukhaim, Chief Information Security and Risk Officer, The Saudi Investment Bank Charanjeet Singh, Senior Vice President & Head - Fraud Risk & Investigation, First Abu Dhabi Bank Amit Mehta, Cybersecurity Advisory Practice Lead, Mastercard |
| 17:10-17:40 | Panel discussion: What is the role of the individual within organisations? - The changing customer, supplier and individual – how do we secured our systems from human and malicious errors - Driving a culture of integrity and trust in organisations – what does this look like for highly secured infrastructure? Moderator - Gregory D. Evans, Director, National Cyber Security Ventures Panelists Kris Voorspels, Regional Technical Manager, Owl Cyber Defense Sultan Altukhaim, Chief Information Security and Risk Officer, The Saudi Investment Bank |
| 17:40 | Closing remarks and end of day 2 |
Conference Day 3: Tuesday 18 January 2022
| 10:00-10:45 | Registration and recap |
| 10:55-11:00 | Chairman's welcome: Khalil Ramadi, Director of the Laboratory for Advanced, Neuroengineering and Translational Medicine, New York University (NYU) |
| 11:00-11:45 | Opening keynote panel discussion: Physical security opportunities for securing critical infrastructure - Current and evolving threat landscape from a counter-intelligence perspective - Emphasizing the holistic nature of threats through the integration of economic and behavioral analysis Moderator - Nayaz Mohammed, Partner, PWC Panelists Prof. Dusko Tomic, Program Director - Master of Arts in Security and Strategic Studies, College of Security and Global Studies, American university in the Emirates Adil Abdel Hadi, Security Management Industry Expert, Aman Security Training |
| 11:45-12:30 |
Panel discussion: Case studies: best practices established during COVID-19 response - Lessons learned in managing various stakeholders - Preparing for future threats, managing risks, and coordinating effective responses - How can companies continue to create safe workplaces as businesses reopen? Moderator - Dr. Khalil Ramadi, Director of the Laboratory for Advanced, Neuroengineering and Translational Medicine, New York University (NYU) Panelists Dr. Spateeka Prakash Kalkunte, Head Medical Affairs & Quality, Aster DM Healthcare Dr. Haitham Alhakmani, Director, Emergency Management, Ministry of Health Oman Ali Juma AlAjme, Director of Digital Health Department, Ministry of Health and Prevention – UAE |
12:30-13:00 |
Exploring new techniques to improve the security-critical control systems in the face of emerging threats Speaker - Dr. Hossam Elshenraki, Associate Professor, Dubai Police HQ |
13:00-13:30 |
How to adjust your post-covid cyber strategy Speaker - Prof. Ernesto Damiani, Director, The Center for Cyber Physical Systems (C2ps), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Khalifa University - Information Security Research Center (ISRC) |
| 13:30-14:00 |
Networking Break |
| 14:00-14:30 | Session Chair - Dr. Yegor Aushev, Co-founder, Cyber Unit Technologies, Cyber School Critical Infrastructure trends in 2022: assessing the role of human factor Speaker - Dr. Yegor Aushev, Co-founder, Cyber Unit Technologies, Cyber School |
| 14:30-15:45 | Protecting against Critical Infrastructure Hackers Speaker - Gregory D. Evans, Director, National Cyber Security Ventures |
| 15:45 |
Closing remarks by session and end of conference |
Past Speakers
Yegor Aushev
Advisory Board Members:
Topics in the spotlight
| Defence | Preparedness | Response |
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Who should attend?
| GOVERNMENT BODIES 30% | LARGE ENTERPRISES 40% | SME’S 30% | STARTUPS 5% |
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Key themes
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