·      Palo Alto Networks highlights the strong growth of Platformization and stresses the urgency of addressing AI-based threats and growing complexity at Ignite on Tour Abu Dhabi.

·      H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity, UAE government, opens the event and discusses initiatives to overcome cybersecurity challenges.

By; Bakinam Khaled

With enterprises worldwide navigating disruption driven by the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), increased network complexity, and expanding threat surfaces, Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader, will highlight the importance of Platformization, eliminating complexity, and the adoption o AI-powered cybersecurity at Ignite on Tour Abu Dhabi on February 16 at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental.

The event, which will be opened by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, the UAE government’s head of cybersecurity, will bring together 250 cybersecurity practitioners, decision-makers, and C-level executives for keynote sessions, presentations, tech demos, panel discussions, and customer success stories. Topics will include tackling growing complexity, AI-powered threats, the impact of new regulations, and empowering secure transformation for governments.

"AI and cloud computing hold immense potential for transformation, yet they also introduce new risks that must be addressed to fully harness their benefits. Today, we must ensure that our organizations are empowered to leverage technological advancements while effectively mitigating the associated risks. This will enable the UAE’s economy to continue diversifying, thriving, and solidifying its position as a regional and global hub of innovation," said H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC).

Dr. Al Kuwaiti added that the CSC is committed to supporting these efforts by deploying state-of-the-art technologies and protective measures to safeguard digital infrastructure against evolving threats. He also highlighted the recent approval of the National Cybersecurity Strategy, which will be instrumental in mitigating the impact of emerging AI developments as its implementation progresses.

Palo Alto Networks will update attendees on the impact of its Platformization approach, which combines numerous products and services into a single, unified, and data-driven architecture with streamlined management, operations, and native integrations that leverage AI’s full capabilities for the defences of organizations. Launched last year, Platformization has gained strong momentum among partners and customers impressed by its ability to reduce complexity and costs. The company is on track to achieve 2,500 to 3,500 Platformization deals by the fiscal year 2030, as the market shifts towards platform acceptance.

“The combined threat of AI-powered attacks, expanding attack surfaces, and increasing complexity poses major risks to organizations globally, but the problem is perhaps more acute here in the Middle East, where public and private sector organizations are taking a lead with digital transformation to support government visions and economic diversification strategies,” said Jordi Botifoll, Vice President, EMEA South & Emerging, Palo Alto Networks.

“At Ignite on Tour Abu Dhabi, Palo Alto Networks is demonstrating how organizations can boost their security and facilitate expansion and transformation by adopting AI-powered cybersecurity tools and a unified platform, supporting government initiatives such as ‘We the UAE 2031’.”

Platformization is an essential tool that enables organizations to unify and streamline cybersecurity functions within a single platform, addressing the increasing risks posed by a growing volume and range of AI-powered cyberthreats. It also helps overcome challenges caused by the use of too many overlapping cybersecurity solutions—a common issue, as some organizations rely on up to 100 different solutions, leading to management difficulties and security vulnerabilities.

With AI providing cybercriminals with a more powerful toolbox, attendees at Ignite will also learn how they can defend against AI-enabled threats using Precision AI, Palo Alto Networks’ proprietary AI system. Precision AI leverages rich data and security-specific models to automate detection, prevention, and remediation with industry-leading accuracy.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about Palo Alto Networks’ AI solutions at a dedicated AI Demo Experience, showcasing the latest advancements in AI-driven security solutions as part of a SOC Experience. This hands-on exhibit will demonstrate real-time threat detection and response.

Other sessions will focus on enabling secure AI government, securing the future of work, and strategies to enhance cloud security