Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority to Hold 4th Global Cybersecurity Forum in October

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
TT

Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority to Hold 4th Global Cybersecurity Forum in October

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) will hold here the fourth edition of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) on October 2-3.

The event, held under the theme “Advancing Collective Action in Cyberspace”, will endeavor to boost international cooperation by bringing together thought leaders, decision makers, and prominent international entities in the field to address the most pressing issues in cyberspace.

This edition will build on the foundation and objectives set by previous editions, helping to bolster international cooperation in cybersecurity.

The event will feature a series of dialogue sessions focused on five key sub-themes: “Beyond Cyber Discord”, on building trust to advance international cyber cooperation; “Cyber Psychology”, on understanding human behavior in cyberspace; “Cyber Social Fabric”, on strengthening development of and inclusion in cyberspace, to bridge the gap between communities, organizations, and countries; “Thriving Cyber Economy”, on the contribution of the cyber economy to development through strong markets and resilient cyber ecosystems; and “New Cyber Frontier”, on how emerging technologies converge to push forward progress and innovation in cyberspace.

GCF is a global platform that brings together decision makers, government and private sector representatives, cybersecurity leaders, academics, and non-governmental organizations to work to improve cybersecurity, achieve economic and social development, and complement global cybersecurity efforts.



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)
TT

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.