Between July and September 2024, identity-focused attacks (most notably those targeting credential theft), surged, representing 25% of Cisco’s incident response cases. These types of intrusions have become increasingly prevalent due to the accessibility of simple-to-use hacking tools.

Meanwhile, ransomware attacks continued to dominate the threat landscape, constituting approximately 40% of cases. The quarter saw the emergence of several new ransomware variants such as RansomHub, DragonForce and RCRU64, in addition to recurring threats like BlackByte and Cerber.

Education, financial services and the manufacturing industry faced the brunt of these attacks, collectively accounting for over 30% of reported breaches. This pattern mirrors trends identified in earlier quarters of 2024, suggesting hackers are consistently and deliberately targeting these industries.

Salman Faqeeh, Managing Director of Cisco Saudi Arabia, stated: “The rise in identity-based attacks and persistent ransomware threats reflect the evolving cyber landscape. At Cisco, our priority is equipping customers with advanced security solutions to bolster their digital resilience.” He added, “Black Hat MEA is an ideal forum to share threat insights and unveil our innovations that mitigate identity-based attacks, prevent breaches, and close exploit gaps”.

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At Black Hat MEA 2024, Cisco will serve as a Strategic Sponsor under the theme “Innovating a New Era of Security,” showcasing its latest advancements in cybersecurity. A particular focus will be on securing AI-powered data centers and distributed environments, ensuring robust protection across all devices and applications.

Splunk, a cybersecurity company which is now part of Cisco, will also exhibit its own cutting-edge solutions, including next-generation Security Operations Centres (SOC) and tools for Operational Technology (OT) environments. Finally, Lothar Renner, Managing Director of Cisco Security, EMEA, is set to deliver a keynote titled “Redefining Security in the Age of AI,” spotlighting Cisco’s forward-looking approach to security in the evolving threat landscape.

Attendees at Black Hat MEA 2024 can visit Cisco at booth H1-T20 at the Riyadh Exhibition & Conference Centre between November 26-28.

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Black Hat MEA 2023 is the world’s largest cyber security event, with 40,000 attendees. The expo will feature 300 exhibitors and 100 speakers, all connected by the “Infosec on the Edge” theme. The conference has attracted many industry heavy-hitters, including Cisco, Huawei, Ali Baba Cloud, Palo Alto, Kaspersky, and Zscaler, whose Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer Sam Curry explained the importance of the event:

“The rapid pace of innovation among attackers demands innovation and application of new approaches to cybersecurity like ZeroTrust and applied Artificial Intelligence. That starts with a cultural nexus like Black Hat MEA in Riyadh, where we bring together the global cyber community and open the doors to the next generation because, in cyber, diversity and inclusion aren’t just the right thing to do; they are a competitive advantage and the key to the future of the digital world”.

Highlights for 2023 include a Black Hat Campus and Deep Dive Stage, where cyber experts explore prevailing cybersecurity threats, and an Investor Program, where 80 potential backers will hunt for promising startups to fund.

Meanwhile, developers will showcase open-source tools and products in a section of the center called The Arsenal. Finally, an ethical hacking Capture The Flag tournament will take place in the Activities Zone, with 1,000 participants in 250 teams using their forensic, crypto, and reverse engineering skills to grab a portion of the USD 187,000 prize fund.

Also Read: The Largest Data Breaches In The Middle East

As cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated, public and private companies in the MEA region and beyond are coming together to search for meaningful technologies and solutions to combat them. Black Hat MEA will act as a key conduit and meeting place for world-renowned experts to share ideas and develop defensive measures.

Exhibitor and attendee registrations for the Black Hat MEA event are open now at BlackHatMEA.com.

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The 3-day event will take place between the 15th and 17th of November and will host 250 exhibitors and over 200 speakers, with tech experts from Cisco, IBM, Spire and Infoblox all attending.

The event results from a partnership between the Saudi Federation of Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and events company Informa Markets. It will highlight the Kingdom’s growth in cybersecurity and modern digital technology.

“Black Hat MEA is a powerful indicator of our intentions within the cybersecurity space. This partnership will spark innovation, supercharge our capacity building and develop investment opportunities which we are excited to share with the world in November,” says Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman, SAFCSP.

So what can event goers expect from Black Hat Riyadh?

• Speakers: An exciting line-up of world-renowned experts from leading companies, including CISOs of Equifax, Boom Supersonic and Lufthansa, SolarWinds and more. The event will also welcome David Colombo, the teen tech genius who hacked Tesla cars.
• Training: 23 training sessions specially developed for the event by 30 Black Hat-approved trainers will take place in a hands-on environment. Training partners include Offensive Security, we45, Orange Cyberdefense and Madiant.
• Executive Summit: An exclusive conference featuring over 200 leaders in information security, including senior decision-makers in charge of implementing security strategies.
• Arsenal: A developer space where the latest open-source software, tools and products will be showcased, along with hands-on experience from owners and experts.
• Briefings: InfoSec gurus will present research on the latest industry trends, hacking tools and security vulnerabilities.
• Capture The Flag: A jeopardy-style hacking tournament will take place, with over 1,000 participants joining the game to enhance their hacking skills at various difficulty levels for a piece of the SAR 700,000 prize fund.

Other competitions at Black Hat MEA include the Bug Bounty Cup, with a prize fund of SAR 300,000, and a startup competition featuring judges, angel investors and government stakeholders for a cash prize of SAR 90,000. The event looks set to be an exciting addition to the region’s expo calendar, so head over to the Black Hat site and get your tickets early!

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