UAE, Greece Sign Agreement to Advance Development of Digital Infrastructure

The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi and the Greek Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou. WAM
The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi and the Greek Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou. WAM
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UAE, Greece Sign Agreement to Advance Development of Digital Infrastructure

The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi and the Greek Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou. WAM
The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi and the Greek Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou. WAM

The Ministry of Investment of the UAE and the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a framework for investments in digital infrastructure with a focus on data center projects in Greece.

The agreement was signed by UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi and the Greek Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou.

Data centers to be developed under this agreement can reach a total capacity of 500 megawatts.

The data center market in Greece has witnessed significant growth in recent years, largely driven by the country's Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2025, which aims to facilitate the transformation of companies into digital enterprises and incorporate digital technologies across its economic sectors.

Projections indicate that Greece's data center market will reach $1.218 billion by 2028 from $735 million in 2022, growing at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 9 percent.

With 15 data centers, Greece is set to expand its data infrastructure with an additional 139 megawatts of power capacity from new data centers planned for development over the next five years. This positions the country to become the largest data hub in Southeast Europe and the second largest in the Mediterranean by 2028.

Greece benefits from a network of over ten submarine cables linking the country to crucial global markets, further reinforced by multiple inland internet exchange points, resulting in significantly enhanced connectivity, reliability and an increased appeal for businesses seeking efficient and dependable data exchange.

The MoU between the UAE and Greece focuses on forging effective collaboration by building relationships between public and private organizations. The agreement additionally proposes the implementation of incentives to support pertinent initiatives and aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge.



Paris Olympics Expected to Face 4 Billion Cyber Incidents

A general view of the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower a day before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in Paris, France June 25, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower a day before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in Paris, France June 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Paris Olympics Expected to Face 4 Billion Cyber Incidents

A general view of the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower a day before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in Paris, France June 25, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower a day before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in Paris, France June 25, 2024. (Reuters)

As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, cybersecurity officials are bracing for over 4 billion cyber incidents. They are setting up a new centralized cybersecurity center for the Games, supported by advanced intelligence teams and artificial intelligence (AI) models.

Eric Greffier, the technical director for Paris 2024 at Cisco France, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Tokyo 2020 Games saw around 450 million cyber incidents. He added that the number of incidents expected for Paris is at least ten times higher, requiring a more efficient response.

Greffier explained that a single cybersecurity center allows for better coordination and a faster response to incidents.

This approach has proven effective in other areas, such as banking and the NFL, where his company also handles cybersecurity, he added.

The Extended Detection and Response (XDR) system is central to the company’s security strategy.

Greffier described it as a “comprehensive dashboard” that gathers data from various sources, links events, and automates threat responses.

It offers a complete view of cybersecurity and helps manage threats proactively, he affirmed.

The system covers all aspects of the Olympic Games’ digital security, from network and cloud protection to application security and end-user safety.

In cybersecurity, AI is vital for managing large amounts of data and spotting potential threats. Greffier noted that with 4 billion expected incidents, filtering out irrelevant data is crucial.

The Olympic cybersecurity center uses AI and machine learning to automate threat responses, letting analysts focus on real issues, he explained.

One example is a network analytics tool that monitors traffic to find unusual patterns.

Greffier said that by creating models of normal behavior, the system can detect anomalies that might indicate a potential attack. While this might generate false alarms, it helps ensure that unusual activity is flagged for further review.