Intersec 2025: Middle East CISOs focus on AI

The growing threat posed by Agentic AI and disinformation has become one of the most critical challenges in the cybersecurity landscape. At the inaugural CISO Business Briefing, held as part of Intersec 2025, cybersecurity experts and industry leaders gathered to explore the implications of these emerging risks and strategies to mitigate them. The event, hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre, highlighted the urgent need for organizations to adapt their cybersecurity measures to address the evolving digital threats.

In his keynote address, H.E Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE government, set the stage for a series of thought-provoking discussions centered around the latest developments in cybersecurity. The event’s opening session, led by Faheem Siddiqui, Director of Information Security at Majid Al Futtaim Holding, zeroed in on one of the most pressing issues: “Mitigating Risk from AI Agents, Disinformation Security.”

Siddiqui shed light on the transformative dangers of disinformation campaigns and the growing capabilities of AI-driven systems. These “Agentic AI” systems are self-directed and capable of generating highly sophisticated disinformation, including deepfakes, fake news, and brand impersonations. Such threats, he warned, could have devastating consequences for businesses, governments, and societies alike.

Siddiqui emphasized that the rise of AI-generated synthetic identities could significantly challenge traditional identity verification and authentication solutions. He pointed out that by 2026, AI-driven attacks could lead 30% of enterprises to reconsider the reliability of their existing security measures. In his words, “Staying ahead of disinformation is a digital arms race,” urging organizations to invest in AI governance frameworks and advanced security tools that can proactively defend against these risks.

The broader discussion at the CISO Business Briefing underscored the need for a collective, multi-functional approach to cybersecurity. As Siddiqui noted, combating disinformation requires the involvement of not just security teams, but also legal, PR, finance, and HR departments. He stressed the importance of understanding critical business use cases and investing in solutions to protect against these new forms of digital fraud.

Beyond disinformation, other key cybersecurity challenges were explored during the event. One particularly engaging panel session focused on proactive cybersecurity exercises that help uncover vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Intersec 2025, now in its 26th edition, set a new benchmark for the security, safety, and fire protection industries.

This year’s event holds particular significance for the UAE, as the country’s government has been ramping up its efforts to fortify cybersecurity measures. Under the leadership of H.E Dr. Al Kuwaiti, the UAE has made notable strides in addressing the evolving cybersecurity landscape. The UAE government’s commitment to strengthening digital resilience aligns with the country’s broader goal of establishing itself as a global leader in cybersecurity.

The UAE’s efforts extend beyond disinformation and AI threats, with substantial investments being made in cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies. The nation is focused on strengthening its cybersecurity infrastructure to safeguard critical sectors, including finance, healthcare, and government services. With the backing of the Cybersecurity Council, SIRA, and other regulatory bodies, the UAE is committed to creating a robust cybersecurity framework that can withstand the challenges of an increasingly complex digital world.

Today’s organizations face challenges from multiple directions, including threats to the business from state-sponsored cyberattacks, geopolitical turmoil, inflation, and a shortage of security skills. For CISOs to succeed in this unprecedented security landscape, they must balance these threats with new approaches by performing continuous risk assessments, protecting digital assets, and managing the rapid pace of innovation in security technologies.

In recent years, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as a global hub for technology and innovation. With rapid digitization across various sectors and an increasing reliance on digital infrastructure, the country has witnessed a parallel rise in cybersecurity threats. From sophisticated cyberattacks targeting government entities to ransomware attacks on businesses, the threat landscape in the UAE is evolving rapidly, presenting significant challenges for CISOs tasked with safeguarding critical assets and data. According to IDC, there has been a cybersecurity spending growth in the UAE that surpassed projections with a CAGR of 11.2 % in 2022 and 2027 and is forecasted to cross 4 billion AED in 2024.

The contributions of the UAE in the global cybersecurity landscape reflect a growing recognition of the need for proactive, forward-thinking strategies to secure an increasingly digital future.

“How do we CISOs adapt our strategies today? We need to start looking beyond the fog of what we have been carrying on, decision-makers of today and the next-generation should be looking and thinking outside the box,” said Dr. Grigorios Fragkos, Head of Cybersecurity, Sharjah Cybersecurity Center at IDC CSO30 Awards. “It has been said that the CISO role is moving towards a COO role, I heard many times in the past we have a problem with the CISO role and it’s interesting because we do have a problem because if I ask people to define the role of the CISO, each person will give us a different response,” added.