Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 36 | Page 16

NEWS GCCPOL and Kaspersky Lab collaborate to elevate cybersecurity awareness Data Mount to build Oman’s largest commercial data centre using Cisco technology C isco has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Data Mount, a leading data centre hosting services company in Oman. Data Mount is planning to establish the largest commercial data centre in the country to date. Through its partner ecosystem, Cisco will provide data centre technology and help enable Data Mount to design, deploy and secure its next-generation cloud services in the data in Jebel El Akhdar, Oman. Amir Kanaan, Managing Director – META, Kaspersky Lab G CCPOL, the organisation which serves as a law enforcement hub for the six countries of the GCC (Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE), has hosted a cybersecurity session in collaboration with Kaspersky Lab. The session has created a platform for the exchanging of information and expertise between the two organisations about the latest cyberthreats facing the GCC and wider region. The objectives of this collaboration were to demonstrate best practices in cyberspace, highlight the importance of securing a workplace environment and illustrate how a security incident can impact organisations. Given the vital role GCCPOL is playing in securing the region, participants were 16 INTELLIGENTCIO also brought up to speed on the latest trends and techniques that cybercriminals use in their attacks. During the session, Kaspersky Lab experts presented insights on a variety of topics from password management, online behaviour, social media security and online privacy. Experts also highlighted recent trends and attacks observed in the regional cybersecurity landscape, such as targeted attacks, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM), spear phishing and more. The MoU establishes a framework for closer collaboration between Cisco and Data Mount, leveraging Cisco’s innovative networking, data centre and security infrastructure solutions, cloud hardware and managed services for cloud and collaboration. The MoU also outlines a number of potential areas for strategic cooperation, based on Cisco’s expertise and best practices, to deliver state-of-the-art cloud services in the data centre. “In line with the Digital Oman Strategy, more businesses are looking at cloud computing as an enabler on their Digital Transformation journeys. To meet the ever-increasing demand of Omani companies to host their critical IT infrastructure in the cloud, we are planning to build a brand new data centre in Jebel Al Akhdar. From there, we will offer customers the option to store their data securely in the cloud inside the country,” said Abdull hakeem Al-Muslahi, Deputy Chairman, Data Mount. Amir Kanaan, Managing Director – META, Kaspersky Lab, said: “At Kaspersky Lab, we believe that well-informed staff are the most important and effective line of defence, although the lack of awareness still remains a worrying reality.” www.intelligentcio.com