By : Mohamed El Kholy
The 2022 edition of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) will be held on 1st and 2nd of February 2022 in Riyadh under the High Patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The GCF 2022 theme, Rethinking the Global Cyber Order, will focus on the root challenges in cybersecurity and explore how the global cyber community can seize upon the many benefits cyberspace offers to humanity. Building off the momentum from its previous forums, the GCF will continue to grow into an action-oriented global platform that integrates the global cybersecurity community. Through its annual events, continuous research, design and launch of new initiatives, and more, the GCF aims to catalyze socioeconomic change, push the knowledge boundaries on core cybersecurity topics, foster investment and build the foundations for global cooperation in cyberspace.
Interactive and dynamic discussions and sessions will engage prominent speakers and participants representing high-level policy makers, industry leaders, experts from NGOs, international organizations, and academia driving the conversation from a range of perspectives and experiences and cover a range of sub-themes that include:
· The evolving international order in cyberspace;
· The current and future state of cybersecurity threats;
· Technologies of the future as solutions to threats;
· The human dimensions of cybersecurity in the future of work;
· Leveraging market forces and economic incentives
· Bridging global cyber divides and strengthening human-centric cybersecurity
The GCF, hosted by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), was launched in February 2020, during the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s G20 Presidency, as a global platform aiming to build a more resilient and better cyberspace for all. The platform emphasizes the importance of international collaboration among diverse stakeholders and nations to accomplish this goal. In line with these objectives, GCF has convened former Heads of States, industry leaders, policymakers, senior representatives from International Organizations, prominent academics and thought leaders from across the globe, and executives from the finance, health, energy, and transport sectors.
When COVID struck, the GCF hosted its first Virtual Dialogue entitled “Cyberspace: What Now, What Next?”, attracting over 250,000 individuals from more than 100 countries. The multi-disciplinary sessions highlighted a series of key themes for the global cybersecurity community, including economic incentives, the talent gap, investment, trust, cyber diplomacy, integrated awareness, and cyber conflict readiness.
The GCF team welcomes global participation in the coming event and looks forward to expanding dialogue and driving action together to create a better cyberspace for all.
