CXO DX April 2022 by LeapMediaSolutions

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» EDITORIAL

GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE FUTURE With the first quarter of the year already behind us, 2022 looks like yet another year in a tearing hurry. Just like the disruptive technologies that have transformed the day-to-day slower world we were accustomed to, not too long ago. Two years ago, we were forced into an unfamiliar future where masks were the new normal. While we seem to have put the worst behind us, more than a little caution still goes a long way in ensuring we all continue to stay safe. With the Dubai Expo 2020 concluding as a superlative success, the UAE yet again took a lead in showcasing what determined human endeavour can achieve in the most challenging of times. At the Expo, visitors got to see glimpses of some of the ground-breaking projects at some of the country pavilions that are being executed back in those countries and are backed by AI and other new technologies. They reveal the power of Digital transformation is truly playing an integral role in advancing societies and helping communities progress. From such case studies, IT decision makers can take the inspiration to look at the larger role Technologies play within their organizations and the impact that new technologies being introduced can potentially have on the workforce, customers and all other partners. Indeed, digital transformation, while cliched it may have become by its repetitive mention, is truly universal in its scope. For instance, almost every day, we are being exposed to some new applications as users on our phones or while using our laptops. We learn to use them for specific purposes and some of them become habits, ensuring we become incrementally more digitally savvy. The transformation is happening at an individual level in terms of tools we use for work and entertainment. For Businesses, with new tools of productivity and collaboration emerging on more frequent basis and with better connectivity, scalability as well as higher grade of security, the transformation is constant as well. As we head further, the pace of change looks certain to sustain and will perhaps only accelerate.

R. Narayan

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Arya Devi Associate Editor

editor@leapmediallc.com

Co-Founder & MD

saumyadeep@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-54-4458401 Sunil Kumar Designer

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narayan@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-55-7802403

SAUMYADEEP HALDER

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Co-Founder & Editor in Chief

MALLIKA REGO Co-Founder & Director Client Solutions

mallika@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-50-2489676

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RAMAN NARAYAN

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Editor in Chief, CXO DX

Nihal Shetty Webmaster

REGISTERED OFFICE: Office 10, Sharjah Media City | www.cxodx.com APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» CONTENTS

17 » SAFEGUARDING AGAINST THE DARK WEB THREATS 18 » DELIVERING TRUST 19 » SOLUTIONS WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH

16 COVER FEATURE

12 » CYBERSECURITY IN A MULTI-VECTOR THREAT LANDSCAPE This year’s edition of GISEC reiterated the need for better awareness of the multi vector threats that challenge legacy cybersecurity solutions and call for better preparedness

SPOT LIGHT

25 » CXODX SAUDI ICT SUMMIT & AWARDS PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON TRANSFORMATION TRENDS

21 20 » ADDRESSING CYBERSECURITY TRANSFORMATION 21 » FOCUSING ON ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS COLUMN

30 » UNDERSTANDING KUBERNETES

38 » NEW TRENDS PUSH DATA CENTRE INVESTMENTS

22 » SECURING THE NETWORK

REGULARS

06 » NEWS

INTERVIEW

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

35 » HOW SASE WORKS TO CONNECT NETWORK, SECURITY, AND CLOUD 36 » CLOUD SERVICES UNDER ATTACK: CLOSING THE VIRTUAL OPEN DOORS TO CYBER CRIME

FEATURE

16 » EXPANDING THE VALUE

32 » APM 4.0: ADVANCED ANALYTICS ARE POWERING THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

36 » TECHSHOW 38 » TRENDS & STATS

» NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH SIGNS MOU WITH VMWARE VMware courses will be taught by specially trained and accredited instructors to students in the College of Computing and Informatics at the University The University of Sharjah (UOS) and VMware have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a VMware IT Academy to enable IT students at the university to gain accreditation in transformative digital solutions in areas including app modernization, cloud, networking, security, and digital workspace. The MoU was signed by Dr. Salah Taher AL Haj, Vice Chancellor for community Affairs, on behalf of the university, and by Ahmed Auda, Managing Director, Middle East, Turkey, and North Africa (METNA), VMware, to promote mutual collaboration in information technology, train students, and offer educational resources, in addition to organizing events, workshops, and seminars within the field. According to the MoU agreement, UOS and VMware will collaborate to train university students and individuals qualified in information technology via the VMware IT Academy.The VMware courses, which will be taught by specially trained and accredited instructors, will be available to students in the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of Sharjah. Dr. Salah Taher AL Haj expressed his happiness over the joint collaboration will contribute to the community and the university’s ability to serve students. He stressed that the MoU is in line

with the university’s plan set by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah, that focuses on education, scientific research and community collaboration with national and international institutions. Ahmed Auda said: “We’re proud to collaborate with the University of Sharjah on this initiative. VMware has a strong commitment to education and knowledge transfer, and the University of Sharjah’s VMware IT Academy will help give young IT students the knowledge they need to develop a solid career in IT while also helping the UAE fulfil its ambitious digital goals.”

INGRAM MICRO TO OFFER IOT SOLUTIONS FROM INSYS ICOM The VAD is expanding its product portfolio for the intelligent bridging between IT and OT through IT distributor Ingram Micro for the Middle East and Africa (MEA). With this move, the Germany-based company continues its global channel campaign. A collaboration with Ingram Micro's other business units in Europe has existed for several years.

Dr. Ali Baghdadi

SVP & Chief Executive Ingram Micro META Region and EMEA Cyber Security INSYS icom, a leading manufacturer of industrial data communication and networking, now offers its IoT solutions

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

The added value of industrial data only emerges when it becomes useful information – which is right where INSYS icom and its ecosystem of routers, gateways, application software, and managed services come in. The business unit of INSYS MICROELECTRONICS drives industrial IoT projects worldwide and creates dependable solutions for wide-ranging applications. Firmly established in the energy sector and plant and mechanical engineering, it is already represented in the IT distribution sector across Europe.

Now, the company is reaching out to the MEA region with the support from distribution-pro Ingram Micro and its Dubaibased subsidiary. With this cooperation, the IT distributor is expanding its product portfolio for the intelligent bridging between IT and OT. Dr. Ali Baghdadi, SVP & Chief Executive Ingram Micro META Region and EMEA Cyber Security, commented: "We are delighted to expand the distribution alliance with INSYS icom. Together, we will combine different requirements of industrial data communication and remote maintenance, further pursuing our course as a driver of digitalization to our customers with its all-in-one solutions – ranging from hardware to software and services." Since industrial routers' diverse applications and fields of deployment are not self-explanatory for everyone, INSYS icom also supports its customers with free test samples, technical consulting, and advisory training. In this field, the manufacturer can draw on many years of experience.

» NEWS

KISSFLOW END-TO-END PROCESS SIMULATOR TO HELP IT FAST-TRACK PROCESS DELIVERY New process simulator module gives business users the power to build, test and deploy organisation-wide workflows in a single environment Kissflow Inc, a leading SaaS software company, announced the addition of an industry-first, end-to-end Process Simulator in the latest version of its award-winning no-code platform. With this, business users no longer have to worry about separate environments for developing, testing and deploying workflows, and can instead create, simulate and go-live within a single interface. The biggest challenge citizen developers face is the ability to understand & handle test environments. Even though the development UI allows business users to create processes, systems don’t allow them to test and deploy these workflows and processes in the same environment. These environments are complex and unintuitive, forcing business users to rely on IT to deploy even the smallest changes. This results in delays in delivering and at times stuck in the feedback loop before deployment.

Dinesh Varadharajan, Chief Product Officer at Kissflow explains, “Conventionally, no-code platforms are either too basic, don't offer customisation, or are too complex that applications can’t be built and rolled out without IT’s intervention. Rising customer demands put a lot of pressure on the business user, whereas the technology or the IT team is not agile enough to handle constant changes and corrections. What they need is not just a way to preview, but to simulate the entire workflow from end-user perspective in a simple and easy to use environment. No more feedback loops just before go-live!” The new Kissflow process simulator puts business users first, by offering them a single environment for the comprehensive simulation of end-to-end workflows. The solution also offers users the ability to test and view the outcome of Forms, Approvals and Inte-

Dinesh Varadharajan Chief Product Officer, Kissflow

grations in real-time, as well as to play role impersonations to view and test from different end-user perspectives.

OMNIX PARTNERS WITH TEAMVIEWER Omnix expands its portfolio with the support of TeamViewer solutions to deliver transformative business processes and enhanced efficiencies by engaging sales channels, and running demand led marketing campaigns to raise awareness among the GCC target audience. Omnix will also set up an experience center head office in Dubai.

Omnix, an end-to-end digital solutions and services pioneer, has announced a joint offering with TeamViewer, a leading global provider of remote connectivity and workplace digitalization solutions, to simplify business processes and streamline remote troubleshooting and management. Both companies aim to improve business operation models and boost productivity with TeamViewer’s advanced remote access, remote IT management and specialized Internet of Things (IoT) and Augmented Reality (AR) solutions. Omnix specializes in analysing IT infrastructure and business needs, deploying digital transformation solutions and covering aspects such as people, processes, technology, governance, data and analytics. Through its partnership with Omnix, TeamViewer will have access to quality resources, a dedicated and experienced

Nico Popp

Chief Product Oficer, Tenable team, and localized support. The company will utilize its in-depth knowledge of the global markets to promote TeamViewer

“Omnix is continuously looking for innovative technologies that support business outcomes for our customers. We are pleased to partner with TeamViewer to endorse our mission of providing high-value technologies that play a key role in transforming processes, procedures and operations of enterprises. Our portfolio boasts state-of-the-art solutions in important areas such as Remote IT management, Augmented Reality (AR) and Internet of Things (IoT) and we trust TeamViewer’s next-generation technologies will add significant value to our olutions suite, helping organizations successfully meet their business objectives,” commented Simran Bagga, Head of Engineering at Omnix. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» NEWS

EVANSSION STRENGTHENS NONAME SECURITY PARTNERSHIP The Reinforced Partnership will make API Security a reality for organizations in MEA Evanssion, a value-added distributor (VAD) specialized in Cloud Native and Cyber Security across Middle East and Africa, has announced that it is strengthening its partnership with Noname Security, a leader in API Security, to ensure the region is well-equipped to defend against API attacks. Last year in October 2021, Evanssion signed up an exclusive distribution agreement with Noname Security, headquartered in California, USA, to allow adoption of its API security platform in the Middle East and Africa region. Noname Security delivers the most powerful, complete, and easy-to-use API security platform. The company finds and inventories all APIs; detects attacks, suspicious behavior, and misconfigurations using AI-based behavioral analysis; prevents attacks and integrates with existing

remediation and security infrastructure; and actively validates APIs before deployment. Noname analyzes API traffic as well as application and infrastructure configurations to provide better API security posture management, API runtime security, and active API SDLC testing. Together with the API security leader, Evanssion is working with some of the largest banks in the financial industry and airline providers in the country to make API Security a reality for the Middle East and Africa region. The past five months has seen tremendous growth for Evanssion and Noname in the EMEA region. Ahmad Al Qadri, Chief Executive Officer, Evanssion, said, “We are pleasantly surprised at the maturity of the market in understanding API security and the urgent need to proactively protect systems and data.” “The response from our custom-

SYMPHONY TECHNOLOGY GROUP LAUNCHES SKYHIGH SECURITY McAfee Enterprise has been split into two organizations—Trellix and Skyhigh Security

Gee Rittenhouse

CEO, Skyhigh Security

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

Ahmad Al Qadri

Chief Executive Officer, Evanssion ers has been powerful and I am confident that the shift from ‘Why API Security’ to ‘How’ will be game changing.”

would serve as CEO of the SSE business, bringing deep cloud security expertise.

Symphony Technology Group (“STG”), a leading Menlo Park-based private equity firm focused on the software, data, and analytics sectors, announced the launch of Skyhigh Security. The new portfolio company was created to satisfy the growing cloud security requirements for large and small organizations. Skyhigh Security’s unique approach extends security beyond data access to securing how the data is used. Its data-aware Security Service Edge (SSE) is built to meet the needs of the modern workforce with security that follows the data and users wherever they are.

“With the majority of data in the cloud and users accessing it from everywhere, a new approach to security is needed,” said Gee Rittenhouse, CEO, Skyhigh Security. “Skyhigh Security has created a comprehensive security platform to secure both data access and data use via unified policies and data awareness. Organizations can now have complete visibility and control and seamlessly monitor and mitigate security risks— achieving lower associated costs, driving greater efficiencies and keeping pace with the speed of innovation.”

Earlier this year, STG announced it would be splitting McAfee Enterprise into two organizations—Trellix and Skyhigh Security—to better focus on the very distinct markets of Extended Detection and Response (XDR) and the SSE. At that time STG also announced that Gee Rittenhouse, who previously led Cisco’s cyber security business,

The Skyhigh Security SSE Portfolio includes Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Remote Browser Isolation technology, Cloud Firewall and Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP).

SAFCSP AND SPIRE SOLUTIONS ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP The partnership aims to support and nurture Saudi youth through short cybersecurity courses and facilitating internships Alaqeel, Spire’s Founder and President Mr. Sanjeev Walia, Chief Revenue Officer Mr. Mohieddin Kharnoub, Chief Growth Officer Mr. Naveen Bharadwaj, and several other employees from both the organizations.

The Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP), a national institution that aims to empower the local workforce and enhance their capabilities in the fields of Cybersecurity, Software Development, Drones, and Advanced Technologies, signed an MoU for a strategic partnership with value-added distributor Spire Solutions. The official partnership signing ceremony was attended by member of the SAFCSP Board of Directors and General Supervisor of Cybersecurity Eng. Mohammed Alshamrani, Mr. Hamad

This strategic partnership aims to support and nurture Saudi youth throughout the year by: 1. Providing a series of short courses on some of the latest cybersecurity technologies as part of CyberHub. 2. Motivating them with real-life stories of successful people in the cybersecurity domain as part of Cyber Nights. 3. Facilitating internships at leading technology companies focusing on cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and more. Alshamrani said “One of the fundamental enablers of our goals at SAFCSP is partnerships with the industry as it’s crucial to bridge our youth with the industry frequently to learn latest trends and techniques needed to pursue a career in the technology and cybersecurity space. We are happy to partner with a regional leader like Spire Solutions to support various initiatives that we have created keeping in line with our youth vision.”

PROOFPOINT AND ITQAN AL KHALEEJ COMPUTERS PARTNER Partnership broadens ITQAN’s cybersecurity portfolio most vulnerable people are, how they are targeted, and how to protect them more effectively. They are also able to respond to data loss more quickly. In addition, there’s always a user involved – so a people-centric approach can succeed where prior solutions failed.

Proofpoint, Inc., a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, has announced its partnership with ITQAN Al Khaleej Computers (ITQAN), a leading systems integrator and solutions provider in the UAE and a subsidiary of Yas Holding. With this partnership, ITQAN will strengthen its cybersecurity portfolio for organisations and institutions in the region, with Proofpoint’s email security, information protection, and cybersecurity awareness training solutions. Organisations in the UAE face an evolving threat landscape. Proofpoint data shows that over two-thirds of CISOs in the UAE feel at risk of suffering a material cyberattack. As attackers shift to targeting people, Proofpoint believes the most effective way to reduce risk is to protect people from the threats targeting them—often through

Emile Abou Saleh

Regional Director, Proofpoint - META email and cloud vectors. By deploying Proofpoint’s technologies, organisations can gain deep insights to identify who the

“Threat actors are exceptionally adept at targeting individuals; organisations need smarter solutions to seamlessly protect those users – and their data – across their ecosystem of security solutions,” said Emile Abou Saleh, Proofpoint Regional Director - Middle East, Turkey & Africa. “Proofpoint's security solutions put people first, providing protection tailored to the individual user. As a result, Proofpoint offers best-in-class security that meets the needs of organisations in a rapidly evolving threat landscape, and we are pleased to partner with ITQAN to deliver these solutions across the region." APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» NEWS

SITECORE OPENS NEW OFFICE IN DUBAI Aldar, GEMS Education and Kerzner International Join Sitecore on Stage at Symposium World Tour dance from across the region, Sitecore Symposium is arguably the first live event hosted by a private martech firm in Dubai in over two years. The decision to kick off Sitecore’s 19-date live event World Tour in Dubai is a testament to the massive importance the Middle East holds in Sitecore’s aggressive global growth plans.

Sitecore, a global leader in end-to-end digital experience management software, hosted its annual Symposium World Tour event in Dubai, welcoming C-level executives, customers, and partners, while highlighting the company’s exciting regional strategy and announcing its latest developments. Keynote speeches by Sitecore’s top management, as well as regional customers, highlighted industry challenges and demonstrated how Sitecore’s solutions helped in overcoming them. Customers in attendance at the event included Abu Dhabi Ports, Aldar, Emirates, Expo 2020, GEMS Education, Kerzner International’s and Mashreq. With over 500 industry leaders in atten-

The event also saw Sitecore inking new agreements with Sharjah based digital solutions provider Sahab Smart Solutions and Avanade, a leading provider of innovative digital and cloud services, business solutions and design-led experiences delivered through the Microsoft ecosystem. The signing ceremony was led by Mohamed AlKhotani, Area Vice President MEA, Sitecore with Amin Alzarouni, CEO Sahab Smart Solutions and Adriano Picchi Neves, UAE Regional Lead, Avanade. Mohammed AlKhotani, Area Vice President MEA, Sitecore added: “Opening the first Middle East and Africa regional office in Dubai is another momentous occasion for us in the region. Located in Dubai Internet City, the new space houses various meeting facilities and conference rooms. The new office further strengthens Sitecore’s regional presence and reinforces its relationships with local partners who are passionate to improve digital marketing and customer engagement among enterprise customers through Sitecore solutions.”

EMPLOYERS PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO HYBRID WORK MODELS Most UAE employers believe they will lose new and existing employees If they don’t figure out hybrid work says Poly Research POLY released a new report examining how organizations are responding to employees’ demand for ideal spaces to work from. The new Poly study, Recruit, Retain and Grow, analyzes work policies, culture, and wellness through the lens of over 2,500 global business decision-makers. Post-pandemic attitudes and expectations highlighted in the research show that workers are visiting the office three days per week, with Wednesday being the most popular day. According to the survey, 23% UAE-based organisations require their employees to work from the office at least three days a week. The report also revealed that 88% of UAE companies believe that employees should be given an opportunity to request flexible working hours from day one. Thirty-five percent of these companies are also seriously considering reimbursing hybrid workers who work from home while 33% are considering offering flexibility to allow its workers to commute outside of rush hours. Key findings from Poly’s new research include: • Recruitment and retention are at risk: Over half (56%) of all organizations, and 69% of UAE-based organisations, believe that if they don’t address their hybrid work processes and plans, they’ll start to lose staff and will be unable to attract new talent.

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

• Strategy and equality are misaligned: More than half (54%) of UAE organizations are fully prepared for hybrid working (as opposed to 48% globally), while 34% are only prepared in the short-term. A further 68% think that hybrid work is a blip. • Culture and workforce wellness shortfall is causing productivity lags: 85% of surveyed companies in the UAE saw an increase in productivity as a result of the shift to hybrid work, with a global average increase of 27%.

» COVER STORY | GISEC

CYBERSECURITY IN A MULTI-VECTOR THREAT LANDSCAPE

This year’s edition of GISEC reiterated the need for better awareness of the multi vector threats that challenge legacy cybersecurity solutions and call for better preparedness and new age solutions to neutralize incoming threats 12

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

It is a no brainer that cybersecurity today must be right at the forefront of IT investments, a necessity dictated by the increasingly common cyber-attacks. GISEC 2022 brought to the fore the focus on new age cybersecurity solutions that address different aspects of vulnerabilities that organizations face with in their ICT infrastructure. The global pandemic has caused widespread hardship and disruption, as well as

presenting governments and businesses with a slew of new difficulties. By 2025, 30% of critical infrastructure businesses are likely to encounter a security compromise that causes an operation- or mission-critical cyber-physical system to go down. Forums such as GISEC offer an ideal cybersecurity platform for participating and collaborating with suppliers and government bodies in the region and start dialogues on preventing cyber-attacks. It

» COVER STORY | GISEC has also been right from beginning a key platform for all the cybersecurity solution providers to showcase their best-in-class products and solutions. “GISEC is a great place to connect with great minds, thinkers, and solution providers. A place for healthy debuts and idea-sharing with great personalities like Jayson E street (hacker), Bran Seely, Paula Januszkiewicz (hacker), Stephen Kavanagh (Interpol), and Carmen Marsh,” said

Maya Horowit

VP Research, Check Point Software Technologies

a plethora of issues in the last 2 years that have pushed enterprises into uncharted terrain. As companies rely on a hybrid workforce, quick adoption of third-party software applications and risk exposure to an attack has risen due to the expanding usage of cloud infrastructure. Organizations must today, more than ever, take the necessary steps to safeguard an expanded attack surface and for attacks that are multi-vector by nature. That was the view shared by several leading cybersecurity vendors who were among the exhibitors at GISEC.

Finto Thomas, Head of Information Security, Alef Education. “HE Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security, UAE Government, discussed the shared responsibility required to tackle the volatility of cyberspace and how collaboration is essential to successfully protect against global cybercrime was inspiring and insightful for UAE’s forward-thinking,” he added. Security professionals have encountered

“We see that attacks today are multivector. An attacker targeting an organization would try to find the easiest way in. While in the past it was through the network or the firewall, today it can be anyway like email phishing, exploited endpoint, or mobile devices which are connected to the company’s network. This is also known as GenV attacks, where attackers who have a target would find a way in. Hence it is important to protect against all these possible entry points,” says Maya Horowitz, VP Research at Check Point Software Technologies.

Security measures are becoming an increasingly crucial component of the process as businesses attempt to fulfill their digital transformation goals in order to improve their business and performance. When it comes to judging whether or not a digital transformation is successful, security is crucial. Security generates confidence, which in turn breeds faith in products and services. “If we look at the security landscape around the world, we see that the shortage of resources is preventing companies from achieving their objectives. The attack surfaces and the kind of vectors used by malicious actors are expanding. The role of machine learning (ML) comes in this environment to better protect. Seven years ago, when CloudSEK started, our intention was to utilise ML in threat hunting. Machine Learning aids in expanding the coverage of the sources that need to be monitored. ML also has the ability to promptly analyse a lot of data and correlate threats across various sources,” said Sourabh Issar, CEO, CloudSEK. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» COVER STORY | GISEC

Fadi Yehia

Regional Director, Fortinet

Cybersecurity systems can use machine learning to evaluate trends and learn from them in order to help prevent repeated assaults and adapt to changing behavior. It can assist cybersecurity teams in being more proactive in preventing threats and responding to live attacks. It can help firms use their resources more strategically by reducing the amount of time spent on regular tasks. In short, machine learning has the potential to make cybersecurity more easy, proactive, cost-efficient, and effective. Despite the fact that statistics and headlines indicate that enterprise-level businesses are vulnerable to cyber assaults, this does not protect small or medium-sized businesses. Hackers are on the lookout for businesses with an internet presence, and they are vulnerable to attack. An attack on any company can have disastrous financial, physical, and legal consequences. “Unfortunately, we see a rise in cyber threats. New ransomware attacks, viruses, and challenges that the industry faces in

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

Finto Thomas

Head of Information Security, Alef Education

Pasha Ershow

SVP APJ, and MEA Sales and Global Channel, Acronis

the context of cybersecurity require a new approach. We are excited to be one of the leaders in the IT industry response to these threats with a unique integrated cyber protection solution. Partners and customers who are using our platform to protect their workload can leverage data protection, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and also management solutions that they can deploy across all their workloads and ensure their protection,” said Pasha Ershow, SVP APJ, and MEA Sales and Global Channel, Acronis. The tradeshow also focused a great deal on the importance of security around IoT networks. With an increasing adoption of IoT, across the region, security concern has also risen. The IoT industrial cybersecurity market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.4%, from USD 16.2 billion in 2022 to USD 20.1 billion in 2027. When asked about protecting the network in this current threat landscape, Bachir Moussa, Regional Director MEA, Nozomi Networks said, “IoT is connecting the world. It is enabling digital transformation and allowing networks to be connect-

» COVER STORY | GISEC

Bachir Moussa

Regional Director MEA, Nozomi Networks

ed and be efficient. Though it is a boon, organisations need to be cyber-ready with all these connectivity. Networks should be properly secured along with visibility of the environment. Nazomi is seeing the threat landscape increase significantly and we are putting the right measures to ensure that organisations have proper visibility and security across IoT network, however it is connected.” Virsec has been championing the ‘deterministic approach to cybersecurity’. In the current threat landscape, many prefer this over a probabilistic approach to cyber security. A deterministic approach to security protects the program from the inside out, independent of the source or type of danger, and it can be implemented in milliseconds. A feasible and effective defense system must be implemented in a timely manner to fully intercept any cyber threat in an automated manner with no performance impact, no heuristics, AI or machine learning models, signatures, or signs of compromise or assault. This indicates that there will be no dwell time allowed for threats.

Sourabh Issar CEO, CloudSEK

Bobby Gupta, SVP and MD of International Business at VIRSEC said, “We can prevent any deviation in behaviour of the software used with deterministic security We believe the Solarwind attack or the Colonial Pipeline attacks could have been stopped, have they been using Virsec. We have a unique technology call ‘Appmap’, which is like a golden image. It shows exactly what a software is supposed to do and any deviation in the behaviour will be stopped within a millisecond. This is the essence of the Deterministic Prediction Platform, which is different from a probabilistic platform.” The tradeshow also focused a great deal on the importance of security around cloud adoption. With an increasing adoption of cloud technologies, across the region, security concern has also risen. As businesses deploy cloud services, the very characteristics that make cloud computing so appealing — speed, agility, ease of deployment, and scalability – also make it a security nightmare. The complexity of the environment rises substantially when adopting multi cloud.

Bobby Gupta

SVP and MD of International Business at VIRSEC

Each of the clouds will require a firewall, security incident and event management, micro-segmentation, identity and access management, endpoint security, and other security features. These tools also become a potential point of failure which hackers can advantage of. “Multicloud adoption is interesting, especially with the technologies that are coming up with the big cloud providers. In a company, we need to ensure that all of the instances are being properly secured. With Fortinet Solutions, it is possible to get a combination of on-premise and cloud security. We have a relationship with the entire cloud solution vendors, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Alibaba etc. and will be able to integrate our solutions within these technologies,” said Fadi Yehia Regional Director at Fortinet. By enlightening end users on the current threat landscape, to starting dialogues on the importance of cybersecurity, GISEC continues to be pivotal in driving awareness and need for investments in necessary cybersecurity technologies. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» INTERVIEW

EXPANDING THE VALUE

Spiros Rafailovits, General Manager for UAE & Gulf at Logicom Distribution speaks to CXO DX about the expansion of their partnership with Dell Technologies to now cover the UAE along with other Gulf markets as well as about their focus on evolving market trends

We provide the solutions the very next day to our partners. By providing solutions in a very short turnaround, we add more value to our partners compared to our competitors.

Spiros Rafailovits

General Manager for UAE & Gulf, Logicom Distribution

Elaborate about the recent sign up with Dell Technologies for the UAE market? We are traditionally a distributor for Dell Technologies in Europe. We always aspire for more growth and look at expanding our relationships with our vendors to enhance the business we do. In the region, we started working with Dell Technologies almost three years ago for the Gulf, both on the client solutions portfolio as well as on the server and storage front. This was initially for the markets of Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Recently we expanded this partnership to cover the UAE as well. The channel event recently done was to announce this strategic partnership for the UAE. For the UAE, we will primarily focus on servers, storage and networking. Although we have very good solutions with other vendors, Dell is complementing our portfolio because Dell is a company that is investing in new solutions, is investing to make their footprint in the market even bigger all the time. Having Dell as part of our portfolio adds a lot of value and we further look forward to adding Dell EMC as well as help enhance the Dell networking business. What is the investment on the resources responsible for the Dell business in the UAE at Logicom? We have invested considerably in our team that is focusing on the Dell business. Following Dell’s strategy, we have 1 pre sales specialist or engineer for every Account Manager. So we have a 7 member team in the UAE. We have a Product Manager, one Account Manager for the enterprise, one Account Manager for the SMB and one for the Stock and sell segment. For each of these Account Managers, there is a presales engineer as support. They work together to further promote Dell solutions.

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

Discuss the demand for cloud solutions visa-a-vis on premise solutions? Being a CSP partner and a distributor of cloud solutions, we have noticed a spike in demand for cloud solutions. There is however an increase in demand for on premise solutions as well. Going forward, we expect to see a hybrid model in terms of demand for both on- premise and cloud-based solutions. How do you see demand in the market growing for the solutions you offer? With the additional technologies and additional financing models available today, we are widening our customer reach. It would be fair to say that an end customer that was four or five years ago not having the capacity to invest in a server or storage solution today can do that due to the fact that either the pricing options have become more attractive or is easier to procure through financing. The upper SMB space is where more demand is coming from and that is because enterprises in comparison have already invested in many solutions and they may be doing a refresh or upgrade. The upper SMB space however is where you see a lot of new investments on the datacentre front. How have Remote work and cloud adoption trends impacted your business? We have had our own digital transformation journey that started 6-7 years ago. We invested heavily in having our own cloud marketplace where we are an indirect cloud provider and where our partners can come and purchase any cloud solution per consumption. So we are addressing the demand for cloud solutions through our marketplace. There is no turning back. The cloud is here to stay and we will see much more investments in cloud solutions. At the same time, there is more need for networking and server solutions to support the demand of people working from a distance. There is also a need for more security at the edge. Before the pandemic, the office was the edge. Today every household is the edge and every computer that is being worked on and accesing the company data from outside the premises has become the edge. There is thus a need for more security software and hardware investments at the remote edge. We are here to help our partners deliver these hybrid solutions to meet the requirements from their end customers.

» INTERVIEW

SAFEGUARDING AGAINST THE DARK WEB THREATS Ayoub Riahi, Channel Manager, Skurio spoke to CXO DX on the sidelines of GISEC about the threats from the Dark Web and how their solution is effective against these risks

What are the major solutions that you have focused on at GISEC? The major solution that we have focused on is the Digital Risk Protection Platform. With this, we are focusing on what is outside the network. Information like employee credentials, customer information, etc is available on the Dark Web, outside of the network. Therefore, a workflow needs to be created to mitigate the risks for companies. Skurio is a Digital Risk Protection technology that automates the search for vital business data and potential dangers on the surface, deep, and dark web. We allow companies to look beyond the network. Elaborate on the current threat landscape and what are the solutions provided by you to tackle this? The Middle East is a target market for cybercriminals. We are currently witnessing a lot of attacks where hackers are trying to imitate customer domain to do phishing attacks. Credentials or password leaks are also seen a lot in this region. When we meet a new customer, they believe to be safeguarded from attacks as they have the best cybersecurity solutions implemented in their network but are unaware of the threats they have outside the network. On behalf of the customers, we constantly look for threats outside the network and give them full visibility of potential threats oustide. Since business-critical data is shared with partners and suppliers, managing cybersecurity within the network is not sufficient. On the surface, deep, and Dark Web domains, hacked data is exchanged and traded alongside threats and exploits. We are a

Ayoub Riahi

Channel Manager, Skurio

Data Risk Protection company specializing in dark web monitoring and cyber threat detection. We look for data outside of the network of the customers. Why is Dark Web Monitoring critical? If a company is unaware of the data that is available on the dark web, they would not be able to take the needed action to stop cyber attacks. Dark Web Monitoring tool allows to safely monitor activity and identify whether your data has been compromised. It allows to keep an eye on dark web data, and discover whether they’ve been hacked or if there are signs that they could be, as well as who is attacking them and what strategies are being employed. What is your key focus in the Middle East region? In the Middle East region, we work with different verticals. Our customers range from financial sectors, charities, group holding companies etc. Our customers are companies who deal with a lot of data. At the end of the day, data is the key to any cyberthreats and it is should be protected not just within the network but also outside the network. Elaborate on your channel focus. Skurio is a channel focused company and do not go directly to the market. We work with MSSPs as well as lots of customers are driven to these services now. We are currently working with over 20 partners in the UAE and GCC region. We also invest in marketing activities like webinars providing awareness to customers on Dark Web Monitoring. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» INTERVIEW

DELIVERING TRUST Volker Gerstenberger, Director Global Marketing at Utimaco spoke to CXO DX about the company’s focus in delivering hardware security modules and key management solutions Discuss the focus of your solutions The company’s focus is on creating trust in the digital society. With more devices getting connected, there is a next for securing the data originating from these devices. We on securing the data when they originate at the device level itself, then when they are communicated over the networks, so when data is in motion, when stored on the device itself or in the cloud or when processed for data analytics. Utimaco offers its customers a complete suite of on-premises and cloud-based solutions for data encryption, hardware security modules, key management, and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for their IT security requirements. What does the recently announced u.trust Data File offer? Utimaco has launched u.trust Data File for data encryption that helps protect personal, sensitive and business-critical data from unauthorized access. u.trust Data File is an easily integrated software-based solution that ensures compliant handling of sensitive data in accordance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, PDPA, etc Tell us about your focus on HSM and key management We offer the key management for the data, helping create the keys, securely storing them in our hardware security module (HSM) because while you can secure with software, you could be still having vulnerabilties that can be taken care of by having stored in the hardware module. The use of HSMs is proven safest for securing the crypto environment. However, with the number of integrated HSMs, monitoring and management can quickly become full-time jobs. We provide solutions for secure key management as well as for centralized HSM management and monitoring to address the challenge of managing crypto secrets. We are pioneers in the space and are mentioned as an overall leader in the HSM market in one of the latest market reports from ABI, being recognized for complete and diverse range of HSM solution offerings, a vision for a converged HSM platform offering for all applications and the focus on the operational side of HSMs including deploying and customizing according to changing customer needs. You have added a Dark web monitoring focus as well. Please elaborate Utimaco Deep Dark Web System was launched recently and is a solution designed to support business analysts and investigators in law enforcement with sophisticated dark web monitoring

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

Volker Gerstenberger Director Global Marketing Utimaco

tools and automation, required to prevent criminals profiting from stolen data. This allows to scan and analyze potential threats to organizations or events and people. Tell us about your focus on securing IoT infrastructure? IoT is the next biggest wave that is coming and we believe the threat is right from the production of these newly connected devices. You need to have a secure production environment. You need capabilities to identify and secure the devices, and securely connect these devices in the future, to ensure a trusted end-to-end IoT service. You need to ensure that all IoT devices that get connected must be secure by provisioning unique, strong and secure device identities. Discuss your Middle east focus We are seeing a growth in the Middle East and there is a lot of potential. Physical meetings are happening. With Bulwark, we are working successfully since past few years. We are committed to expanding our focus here which is why we have been at GISEC with a strong team showcasing our latest technologies. We have been hopefully able to generate a lot of interest form customers of Bulwark so that we can further increase the Business we do together.

» INTERVIEW

SOLUTIONS WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH Lloyd Rodrigues, Regional Head Middle East and Africa, Nexus speaks to CXO DX on the company’s solutions focus

What are the challenges security challenges currently faced by the organizations in the Middle East and how do you help tackle them? Organizations adopt point security solutions like VPN, 2FA, Identity Management and Access Management, Digital Signing, Encryption from different vendors. As mentioned earlier, it becomes a challenge to maintain and integrate different solutions. It also leads to a cost escalation as an annual maintenance fee and subscription charges are to be paid for different products. The components of the Nexus Smart ID Solution issue trustworthy identities, generate credentials, and provide the corresponding lifecycle management from a single Platform. Identities can be persons as well as technical components, like mobile devices, VoIP phones, servers, network devices, IoT devices, services, APIs or software components. The Certificate Management components provide a fully-fledged high-security CA platform and OCSP Responder with the Common Criteria evaluated core Certificate Manager at the heart to generate and manage asymmetric keys and certificates, as well as to provide the related security services. The SmartID solution offers a built in VPN, multi factor authentication suite and an Identity Federation engine to integrate with 3rd party applications using SAML and OpenID Connect. Having a single platform helps reduces administrative overhead and cost.

Lloyd Rodrigues

Regional Head - MEA, Nexus

What are the major solutions that you showcased at GISEC? Nexus (www.nexusgroup.com) is trying to promote a platform-based approach, instead of a point-based solutions and that was our focus at GISEC. In the Middle East region, most of the organisations have primarily adopted a point-based approach in cybersecurity. Companies are increasing adopting different point solutions for firewalls, VPNs, encryption, PKI etc. It becomes strenuous for companies to integrate all these solutions into a single dashboard and have an overview of all the solutions. This is where Nexus comes in. The Nexus Smart ID platform is a security alternative to pointbased solutions. This is a single solution for authentication, authorization, access, encryption, digital signing and more. This is a one stop shop for customers who have plans for adopting an overall based security when it comes to digital access, digital ID, physical access and physical ID.

Currently, we are witnessing an increased adoption of IoT. How does Nexus aid in the secure adoption of IoT infrastructure? For critical infrastructure such as energy IoT applications, the potential consequences of a security breach can be absolutely devastating. A sabotaged power supply can have broad and serious consequences and endanger the lives of people. Workplace customers can automate enterprise certificate provisioning for IT systems and devices: personal computers, mobile devices, servers, web applications, services, network devices, network printers, conference systems etc. It supports enterprise IT to manage and automate the entire life cycle of their internal and external PKI-based certificates. Nexus' solutions can also be used for securing the communication and identities of connected vehicles include PKI-based identities for vehicle-to-everything (V2X), vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle ID use cases. How are you driving awareness in the Middle East region? In the Middle East region, we are trying to educate customers for evaluating products which are certified and compliant with global certifications. We are also educating customers on the importance of working with platinum partners and trusted partners. It is also important to go with respected partners who have experience and skill sets. Customers should be aware of choosing security solutions which are highly rated by 3rd party rating agencies and look into the security skill set of the local partners in the region. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» INTERVIEW

ADDRESSING CYBERSECURITY TRANSFORMATION Jose Thomas Menacherry, Managing Director at Bulwark Technologies discussed how the distributor has responded to the transforming cybersecurity landscape with new solutions that address different customer requirements Discuss how Bulwark has kept pace with changes in the cybersecurity landscape as well as also focused on long term vendor associations? As a leading value-added distributor for cybersecurity in this market for over 22 years, we have long-standing associations with several leading cybersecurity vendors. We have also been adding new vendors in line with the ever-increasing needs of customers to address newly evolving security challenges. As the threat landscape is shifting with digital transformation and customers moving data to the cloud, CISOs need to ensure that digital assets are managed securely based on Zero Trust security policies. Do you see a rising focus on cybersecurity investments? With increased work from home trends during the COVID pandemic, the digitalization process was faster. There will be further consolidation and streamlining of such digitalization processes with a proper focus on cybersecurity measures as companies realize the importance to secure their data and operations. Elaborate on the newer areas of focus where you have expanded your portfolio as well as solution you highlighted at GISEC? Information security is an area where rapid changes occur concerning constantly evolving threats and breaches. We continuously scan through cyberspace to adopt the latest technology-based solutions to address such things. Some of the prominent ones are solutions for the Zero Trust framework, Data Security Suite to manage the security of the entire life cycle of

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

data, including data at rest / in transit and Digital Risk Protection. Bulwark represents around 25 plus leading security vendors in the region. Those who exhibited with us in this GISEC and the ones with whom we have recently signed up are Utimaco, Nexus Group, RiskExchange, Skurio, Accops, Ekran, Mimecast, iStorage, 42Gears and Help Systems. Utimaco offers on-premise and cloudbased hardware security modules (HSM), key management solutions as well as compliance solutions. Nexus Group Offers Smart ID solution, enabling companies of all sizes and from all industries to issue and manage the lifecycle of trusted workforce identities as well as identities for workplace devices and the internet of things (IoT) RiskExchange platform that provides a complete 360-degree view of your attack surface, including that of your supply chain. Skurio offers solutions for Digital Risk Protection / dark web monitoring and brand protection. Accops provides Secure Digital Work Space for accessing corporate applications anywhere, anytime from any devices and Ekran offers Employee Monitoring and Internal Threat monitoring solution. Mimecast has solutions for Cloud Email Security, archival and security awareness training solutions. iStorage offers encrypted hard drives and flash drives with the highest certification for secure data handling and storage. 42Gearshas MDM / EMM solution and Help Systems offers full data security suite combining Digital Guardian DLP / Boldon James Data

Jose Thomas Menacherry MD, Bulwark Technologies

Classification / GoAnyWhere Secure File transfer solution / Vera Digital Rights Management. Elaborate on the new Saudi Arabia expansion for your operations? Saudi Arabia is a strategic focus for us, and we have strengthened our presence there with the opening of our office recently. We have also increased sales and presales team size to better support our partners and customers there. How has showcasing at GISEC been benefitting you? We have been participating in GISEC regularly since its inception. It gives us a perfect platform for showcasing solutions in the information security space, where most visitors are looking for such solutions. It also helps our customers and partners meet our participating vendors and discuss their security requirements and concerns in-depth. Discuss your partner focus? We always work with a channel only approach. We have over 500 partners across MEA doing business with us. As a value-added distributor, we help our partners with lead generation activities, partner enablement initiatives, sales training and certifications, support for product demos and Proof of Concept, apart from credit facilities to loyal and committed partners in the region.

» INTERVIEW

FOCUSING ON ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS Lucas Jiang, General Manager at TP-Link MEA FZE discusses how the vendor has expanded its focus on the Business range of solutions along with the consumer range Elaborate the focus on the Business range of solutions at TP-Link. With a proven heritage of stability, performance, and value, TP-Link has created a portfolio of consumer and SMB networking and surveillance products, along with Smart Home and IoT technologies. TP-Link offers all kinds of business products for any situation, providing advanced indoor and outdoor, wireless and wired systems, and surveillance for service provider and enterprise customers. The business products of TP-Link include Omada SDN, Business Wi-Fi, Wireless Broadband, Switches, and Business Routers. TP-Link provides not only products with outstanding quality but also whole service for complete client satisfaction. Our focus in 2022 will introduce the latest Wi-Fi6E technology across our product line. Discuss the focus on 5G enabled devices in your portfolio? TP-Link provides various kinds of routers that support both 4G/5G and wireless network access. The upcoming Deco X805G, for example, TP-Link’s first wholehome Mesh WiFi router that supports 5G, allows multiple operation modes to meet all your different networking scenarios. When operating in 4G/5G Router mode, Deco X80-5G connects to the internet via an inserted SIM card, allowing you to always get a WiFi connection when there is no broadband service. When in Wireless Router mode, the router connects to the internet via an Ethernet cable. You can get the best of both worlds by setting up your 4G/5G network as a backup. When 4G/5G Backup is enabled, your Deco will be directly connected to the 4G/5G network when your original network service fails — keeping you online all the time. Do you see demand getting better with offices back to almost normal function-

How did TP-Link go about meeting demand for solutions that enhance remote workforce productivity? A hybrid working environment involves time spent split between the home and office. As a result, the need for a more permanent working environment and robust connectivity is more apparent than ever to facilitate this revolution. Workers who are looking for the ideal working from home setup need to be thinking about the right mix of technology and connectivity they need in order to be productive and get maximum job fulfilment and similarly companies have also challenge to have best remote system in place.

Lucas Jiang

General Manager, TP-Link MEA FZE

ing on-premise? The shift from workplaces to home offices, schools and colleges to virtual classrooms, and theatres and gaming arcades to home entertainment solutions has caused a consequential and considerable rise in the demand for enhanced networking solutions, speeds, and bandwidths. TP-Link solutions have always been designed to do just that, and the pandemic has resulted in the demand for TP-Link offerings rising consistently in the past year. That is TPLink biggest achievement for the year that prove to be challenging and disruptive for quite some enterprises. What turned out to be a challenge for most businesses - making the sudden switch to a hybrid working policy – actually turned out to be business growth opportunity for TPLink. We are operating from office as back to normal from beginning of the year 2022.

With that in mind, TP-Link has designed devices as per the user needs and the technology that can match them. Our TP-Link omada offers all kinds of business networking solutions and products for any situation, providing advanced indoor and outdoor, wireless and wired systems and our solution are suitable for remote working too. For home our Deco Mesh systems are design to handle traffic from even the busiest of networks, providing lag-free connections for over 100 devices. Discuss your focus on channel partners TP-Link digital engagements with TPLink partners and customers have been on the rise, and TP-Link have regularly conducted digital meetings with TP-Link partners throughout the lockdowns. TPLink will focus on encouraging channel partners to take advantage of dynamic opportunities that are presenting themselves and work on meeting business needs that SMBs seek in the wireless networking and IP surveillance space. TP-Link’s aim for 2022 is to help our partners to widen their reach through TP-Link solutions that enhance connectivity and optimise user networks to boost productivity. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» FEATURE

SECURING THE NETWORK Infoblox with its DDI solutions is taking the lead in ensuring network uptime and business continuity for its customers even as they transition to the multi cloud and work from anywhere models.

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

Infoblox is today poised right in the middle of the technology disruption that is sweeping across industries and has a pivotal role to play in helping Businesses secure their digital transformation with its focus on DDI solutions (DNS, DHCP, and IPAM as a unified service or solution). In an increasingly multi-cloud era and work from anywhere world, there is an urgent need for organizations to secure their networks with more awareness of the threats. Explaining the strategic role his company has to play in the context of constant technology upgradation that comes with digital transformation, Jesper Andersen, CEO of Infoblox says, “I'm more bullish about Infoblox as business than I've been in the seven and a half years I've been here because what we do has never been more important for businesses. Fundamentally, everyone is deploying some hybrid architecture, right? There are companies that are trying to be cloud first, there are those that have a lot of legacy technology and applications that they need to maintain in

» FEATURE their own data centers, they may have virtualized those, but they still need to maintain those. And the one thing that has always been super important is to know what's on your network. And that has never been more important than it is now. In in that world of continuous threats to your infrastructure, knowing what's on your network, and controlling that is super important. And that is what we do at Infoblox.” As he elaborates that the risk is always there when you do not have the same control as when using public cloud infrastructure or when there is a profusion of IoT deployments. This calls for DDI security solutions as Businesses can’t afford any downtime with their networks in a fast-paced world. “When you start using public clouds, you don't have the same control over what IP addresses you have. When you start deploying IoT, you have less control over what some of those devices do. And so having a very strong enterprise grade IP address management solution has never been more important. And then knowing where those IP addresses are going on the network, which always starts with a DNS request has equally never been more important, right? In a modern digital economy, you really can't afford to have any downtime with DNS. And the example I always give people about that is we have we're very fortunate to have almost 10,000 customers across all industries and truly across the globe, very global companies Fortune 100 companies, but also medium sized companies. And if you pick an industry like healthcare, for example, where thankfully most modern countries today have electronic medical records, if the DNS is down, a doctor can't pull up a patient record and that could be critical. That’s how critical DNS infrastructure is today. And as you know, we are the leader in this space by quite a margin.” Infoblox today has begun to see itself as a cybersecurity company in addition to staying true to its capabilities as a networking company. It also underlines the fact that networking and cybersecurity today work in tandem, and the lines are increasingly blurred. Andersen says “Traditionally, you would always have called us a networking company. That's our heritage. That's where we came from. But obviously, we play an increasing role in cybersecurity as well. You can't say we're not a security company, as we have over 1000 companies that are using our security solutions. I think we are both. And what's good for Infoblox is, when you talk to big enterprises today, it's clearly recognized that networking and cybersecurity are coming closer and closer together. You really cannot do an effective job in cybersecurity, if you don't know what's on your network, and what the things that are on your network. We have people internally that say all the time, well, we should

Jesper Andersen CEO of Infoblox

change our branding and our image and just be a cybersecurity company. And I always tell them that why would we do that we are like one of the market leaders in networking, and networking and security are coming closer and closer together all the time. The reality is we are both and if you ask any CISO, they will concur that the networking and the security teams are indeed coming closer and closer together.” Infoblox works with several strategic alliance partners including public cloud providers and cybersecurity vendors. “There are strategic alliance partners on the technology side. And then there are partners on the channel side resellers, distributors and so on. Sometimes they overlap with a vendor like Microsoft for instance that is increasingly both a technology strategic alliance partner but is also becoming more and more of a channel for us, right. If we start with the former category around the sort of Technology Partnerships and strategic alliances, obviously APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» INTERVIEW the big cloud providers are super important. Extending the DDI solution into the public cloud has been very important for us and for our customers. We have extended the NIOS grid into public clouds, Microsoft Azure, AWS, Oracle, cloud, Google Cloud and so on, making sure they are tightly integrated in the right kind of way, and licensing is easy.” “Another category of partnerships is around automation. That means open truly open API's and then pre integrations into frameworks like Ansible, and other tools, solutions like that. So that's a category of important partnerships as well. And then the third category of partnerships that I would highlight are security vendors. The information we have about what's on your network, which of course isn't static, because when you move around an office with your laptop, you change IP addresses all the time, but the MAC address of your laptop is the same. The IP address is changed through the day as you move around the building, for example and so having a view of that dynamic world is very important for other security solutions, which is why almost every cybersecurity solution out there wants to work with us. Whether it is the loading of log files from our appliances, or whether it's pre-built integrations with client protection software, we have a lot of integrations with these vendors.” Infoblox has build up a strong threat intelligence focus with a large team. The vendor has an advantage in generating threat intelligence earlier than most other due to its focus around DNS. “Security is a is an exciting area, but it's a scary area. There are cybersecurity or cyber threat actors that are trying to take advantage of the Ukraine and Russia war for instance. We have a very strong cybersecurity solution, and we have our own Threat Intelligence Team. We're making our Threat Intelligence available on GitHub for free to people and we were very successful in seeing some of the newest cyber threats very early on. it's a large team we have at Infoblox. We have unique capabilities around threat, expert data exfiltration via DNS. We obviously focus a lot on DNS. The differentiator for us against competitors is they can look at external DNS traffic whereas we are actually the DNS server. So we have a lot more information about that request, and the origin of that DNS request and where it came from and who made it at what point in time, and that's our differentiator and strength.”

Regional and Channel Focus

The Middle East is a key focus for Infoblox and the company has a robust client base in the region. The focus is on enterprises as well as mid-sized companies. “We have almost 500 customers in this in this region now and region, obviously being UAE and all the surrounding countries, including Saudi and Egypt. I think there's huge opportunity for

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

growth for Infoblox in Saudi and same with Egypt. I'm very happy with our presence here. Our customers include some the largest companies across different industries, and some more midsize type of companies as well. There are still many prospects in this part of the world that we can sell to. We've been growing our presence here, hiring people. Now hiring isn't easy these days but we're just trying to do everything we can to be the most attractive place for people to come work.” As for the channel, the company remains committed to the two-tier model that gives it access to a broad base of customers of all sizes. Infoblox always sells as on a two-tier distribution model. We have hundreds and hundreds of reselling partners around the world. Companies like Help AG here in this region or Saudi Telecom in Saudi for instance. And they are our reselling partners. They are supported by a network of distributors, including Exclusive Networks and Westcon. We are very committed to our channel. And we've been doing that for a very, very long time.” Enabling businesses to automate difficult network control functions, lowering costs while increasing security and uptime is what Infoblox focuses on delivering. In this era of an increasingly disruptive technology landscape, the need for DDI solutions to help enterprises with the tools needed to monitor and administer their IP addresses, DNS and DHCP services on a real-time basis has never been more urgent, a role Infoblox continues is committed to and helping define its place as an industry leader.

“Traditionally, you would always have called us a networking company. That's our heritage. That's where we came from. But obviously, we play an increasing role in cybersecurity as well. You can't say we're not a security company, as we have over 1000 companies that are using our security solutions. I think we are both.”

» ICT SUMMIT & AWARDS | KSA

CXODX SAUDI ICT SUMMIT & AWARDS PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON TRANSFORMATION TRENDS

The inaugural edition of the event also saw several IT leaders being recognize for their efforts in helping IT transformation at their organizations The CXO DX Saudi ICT Summit & Awards held on March 16th 2022 was an occasion to bring to the fore some pf the transformation trends that are sweeping the IT landscape in general and across the enterprises based out of the Kingdom.

several keynotes by eminent speakers and panel discussions insights shared gave some useful takeaway messages for those in the audience. The event’s sponsors included Diamond sponsors Dell Technologies and Mindware, Platinum sponsors Acronis, Freshworks, Redington, NetApp and Logicom as well as Gold Sponsors Veeam, Extreme Networks, Al Jamazz Technologies, Logitech and Avientek

Saudi Arabia has a visionary outlook towards developing a robust IT infrastructure, replacing traditional processes with digital ones, and accelerating digital transformation. The country has seen a massive ramp-up of the digital services it offers to its residents. The Kingdom has been ranked among the “Top Digital Riser” G20 nations due to the firm government support for digital transformation in the Kingdom, as part of Vision 2030. The event organized by CXO DX, the region’s leading media platform for CXOs and Leap Media Solutions is a platform to bring to the spotlight some of the themes that are quite current as the country undertakes its journey into the digital future. Through APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» ICT SUMMIT & AWARDS | KSA

Transformation Champions of the Year - Winners Aijaz Regoo

IT Director, Quara Finance

Antoine el Shemayel

Chief Information Technology Officer, Elite insurance & Reinsurnace Brokerage Co

Dr. Mustafa Hasan Qurban ICT Director at King Fahd Military Medical Complex (KFMMC) Dhahran, KSA Dr. Yosef Asfour

Saudia Auctions Co. Ltd.

Gaurav Kolem

Group Head of Information Technology at Leylaty Group

Dr. Hussain Al-Wasly

Director of IT, JESCO

Imdath Nazim

IT Manager at IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG

Kamran Mushtaq Ahmed

Vice President: Data Quality, Saudi National Bank

Manoj Ramachandran

Group CIO, Al Babtain Group of Companies

Mohammed Ali Mahnashi

Digital Transformation Advisor, Saudi Electronic University

Mohammed Habeeb

IT Project Manager, Al Rajhi Industrial Group

Muhammad Mohsin Amjad Al-Othman Holding Omar Homsi

Infromation Technology Head, Daily Food Co.

Osama Merghani

Group Information Technology Director, Braira Hotels and resorts

Qasim Nadeem

Senior IT Manager, Abana Enterprise

Raed Eisa Kurdi

Abdulateef Jameel Electronics

Tahani Aldosemani

Associate Professor, Educational Technologies, Prince Sattam University

Wail Abdelal, IT Manager

Al Rajhi Endowment

Yousef AbdulRaqeeb

IT Head, Al-Rajhi Family Foundation

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

Among the keynote speakers of the day, Mr. Fadi Matta, GM, Mindware KSA spoke on the topic ‘VALUE is the heart of every digital transformation’. He was followed by Mr. Muhammad Khaled, Regional Senior Solution Engineer, Acronis who presented on the topic ‘Cyber Protection is vital’ Mr. Roy Verboeket, Vice President Systems Engineering, Extreme Networks made his presentation on the topic ‘Enhancing the Digital Enterprise’. Following this Mr. Jawad Moghnieh, Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Veeam gave his keynote on the topic ‘Modernising Data Protection and how to avoid Ransomware’. Mr. Mohammed Sharif, Strategic Business Manager, Logitech discussed ‘The Future of the Hybrid Workspace’ through his address. There was also a remote presentation on ‘Enhancing Customer and Employee Experience with Smart Products’ from Freshworks.

» ICT SUMMIT & AWARDS | KSA

Cybersecurity Champions of the Year - Winners Yuosof Radi

Director, Cybersecurity, Saudi Logistics Services

Abdelmajed Ahmed Saeed Fadol Cyber Security GRC Manager, Medgulf MEDGULF. Ahmed Ramadan Aljohani

CISO at Alyusr Leasing And Financing

Meshal Alotaibi

Cybersecurity Director, specialized by stc

Mirza R Baig

Head of IT- DT and CS, Finzey Finance Company

Nezar AlTurki

Ministry National Guard

Saghir Ahmad Khan

SABIC

Syed Murtuza

IT Audit Manager, Alfanar

The panel discussions of the day were around the topics 'Role of Technology in enabling Saudi Vision 2030, ‘Adopting the right cloud strategies' and ' ‘Technology’s role in enabling a hybrid workplace’. The panels were moderated by Mr. R. Narayan, editor in chief of CXO DX. The panelists include Mr. Mohammed Ali Mahnashi, Digital Transformation Advisor- Saudi Electronic University, Muhammad Khaled, Regional Senior Solution Engineer, Acronis, Osama Merghani, Group IT Director -Braira Hotels & Resorts, Yuosof Radi, Director Cybersecurity SAL, Mashari AlMussaed, Director ICT Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Jawad Moghnieh, Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Veeam, Rawan Alturkestani, Solutions Architect, Dell Technologies, Qasim Nadeem, IT Head ABANA Enterprises Group, Saghir Ahmad Khan, Leader Cyber Security Operations, SABIC and Mohammed Sharif, Strategic Business Manager, Logitech. Besides the Summit, the attendees also visited the exhibition booths of the sponsors in the adjacent hall, getting to interact with the vendor representatives. An elaborate Awards evening followed the summit where IT leaders who have led digital transformation initiatives at their companies were recognized. These awards were based on shortlisted nominations. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» ICT SUMMIT & AWARDS | KSA

Channel Awards

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

VAD of the Year

Mindware

Networking Solutions Distributor of the Year

AlJammaz Technologies

Cloud Infrastructure Distributor of the Year

Redington Value

Digital Transformation VAD of the Year

Logicom

Enterprise Software Distributor of the Year

Al Falak

AV Solutions Distributor of the Year

Avientek

Cloud Infrastructure System Integrator of the Year

Cloud Solutions

» ICT SUMMIT & AWARDS | KSA

Excellence in Digital Transformation - Winners Daily Food CO. Quara Finance JESCO Saudi Electronic University. Finzey Finance Company

Vendor categories - Winners Digital Transformation Vendor of the Year

Dell Technologies

Cloud Infrastructure Vendor of the Year

Red HAT

Cloud Networking Vendor of the Year

Extreme Networks

Data Management Vendor of the Year

Veeam

CX Transformation Vendor of the Year

Freshworks

Hybrid Workplace Solutions Vendor of the Year

Logitech

Cloud Security Vendor of the Year

Acronis

Hybrid Cloud Solutions Vendor of the Year

NetApp

Enterprise Storage Vendor of the Year

Pure Storage

Edge Computing Vendor of the Year

HPE

APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

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UNDERSTANDING KUBERNETES Michael Cade, Senior Technologist Product Strategy at Veeam Software shares his insights into how Kubernetes implementation is on the rise and how it requires the same Modern Data Protection as any other type of data One of the ever more popular topics in information technology (IT) are container systems, such as Kubernetes. Increasingly, decision-makers at companies of all sizes cannot avoid asking themselves whether containers should be integrated into their own IT infrastructure. At the same time, VMware's Kubernetes Report 2021 says that Kubernetes is already being used more widely, but at the same time there is a lack of expertise and the necessary security. Reason enough to take a closer look at important questions around Kubernetes - especially from a data protection perspective.

Integral part of hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures?

In the networks of many corporations and long-established companies, containers do not yet exist, or have only existed for a short time. They were not part of the traditional network structures based on a data center. However, neither are they an integral part of modern multi-cloud environments or hybrid solutions - they just fit in very well. It is similar to virtualization: this also started as a trend that not every company had to take up and therefore not all did - only early adopters integrate technology from the beginning. But 20 years later, it seems, a large proportion of all companies have virtualized a high number of workloads. Kubernetes is now acting as a management platform for containers and interestingly, established and regulated industries like banking and financial services show greater interest and are early adopters of this technology, while other industries are still observing and evaluating the pros and cons. The latter first look at what this is all about, whether it can be incorporated into their networks and be useful at all to gain an advantage in the market. On the side, however, these entrepreneurs are busy with other trends that they need to take a closer look at, such as Cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service.

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Compatible with the runtime environments?

Of course, the question immediately arises as to whether Kubernetes and the virtualization software are compatible. First, let’s set the record straight about exactly what we are talking about: Kubernetes is an orchestration system for containers; Docker for example, is for now the most common container runtime. The containers created in Docker can each exist and be worked on separately. Developers can manage them individually and do not necessarily need a higher-level solution to manage them. But with the number of containers, the complexity grows, and the overview is lost. To keep this effort small and as clear as possible, a central administration point must be set up - and this is where Kubernetes comes into play. The software keeps an eye on everything and ensures, for example, that payloads are distributed dynamically and sensibly to the containers to guarantee the availability of a service and ensure that it can meet all requirements. Kubernetes is thus an orchestration for Docker and accordingly, a connection between the two is not only possible but desirable.

New security vulnerabilities in sight?

Kubernetes does not change the threat landscape. It does not close security gaps but requires the same Modern Data Protection as any other type of data. Formerly, we just saved everything, then with virtualization, we selected what to protect and how often. Today, we move forward with containers that sometimes only last for minutes or hours, other than Virtual Machines that can have a lifetime of months. Kubernetes.io provides in-depth documentation that focuses on the “Four Cs” of cloud-native security: Code, Container, Cluster, Cloud/Corporate Data Center. It states that each layer of the cloud-native security model builds on the previous one. Accordingly, the coding layer (code layer) benefits from a strong foundation at the cloud, cluster, and container level. So, if weak IT security standards apply there, the difficulties cannot be solved at the coding level. Each level must therefore be

» COLUMN a strong foundation in itself. Kubernetes simply comes in here as the orchestrator of the containers. What is becoming important, however, is data protection itself, for example backup and replication. The pioneers of Kubernetes and containers often complain about a lack of data security and data management in relation to the new environments. This is because the infrastructure is now closer to the applications with the help of containers, and data backup must be carried out differently accordingly. There are already coming up the stateful workloads instead of the stateless ones common in container environments and there is an increase of data service deployed right inside the Kubernetes cluster. Other tools from outside, like Amazon Relational Database Service (AWS RDS), can be connected to applications which are running within Kubernetes. This changes the way of the data protection. The Veeam Cloud Protection Trends Report 2021 shows that we are in a transition, because 46 percent of SaaS- and PaaS admins said that their information from stateful application is being saved separately, while 32 percent of the IaaS admins said that their container architecture has been built for long lifetime and therefore they need no backup. On the other hand, 14 percent of Backup administrators do not have a backup-solution for Containers, yet, but are searching. Over the last 15 years, the focus has been on protecting data in virtualized environments, but container environments are not virtual machines. Backup works differently. At the same time, the administrator is busy with the applications and their platforms, taking on a kind of DevOps role. This is where specialized solutions for data management, data backup and recovery come into play, such as those already offered by Kasten by Veeam, which are designed to deal with Kubernetes and container environments of all kinds, including Docker. It is important to consider the specifics of these new types of environments, such as the ephemeral nature of many containers and their micro-functions, or the integration into cloud, multi-cloud, or hybrid IT infrastructures.

Kubernetes on the rise?

The analysts at ESG published a report in September 2020 called Data Protection Trends and Strategies for Containers, which summarizes the results of a survey of 334 enterprise IT professionals from the United States and Canada. When asked about their use of containers, 67 percent said they use them for production-related applications. This statement underscores the increasing adoption and integration of containers into systems and networks, and this trend will continue over the next two years. VMware’s report, The state of Kubernetes 2021, looks similar: 65 percent of the participants already use Kubernetes within their production. In the year 2020, only 59 percent said so. Ninety-eight percent also said that they are seeing great advantages in the implementation of Kubernetes. Of course, finding trained personnel is the big is-

Michael Cade

Senior Technologist Product Strategy, Veeam Software

sue now for those companies. With the rise of containers, Kubernetes will then also increasingly enter the scene to manage the new environment well. Kubernetes will probably start this triumphant march with startups and large corporations first, because the former can build their networks and accordingly incorporate the new technology immediately, while the latter have the necessary money and personnel to successfully incorporate the new technology. What the GigaOM Radar for Kubernetes Data Protection study highlights is that some management solutions, like Kasten by Veeam K10, already exist to ensure the protection of Kubernetes infrastructure from the very beginning of its incorporation. Furthermore, they can also orchestrate virtual machines and cloud workloads. So, for most entrepreneurs, the question is no longer if they should use containers and orchestration tools, but which one, because the advantages of this new technology are now easily seen. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

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APM 4.0: ADVANCED ANALYTICS ARE POWERING THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Industrial companies of the future are leveraging data to eliminate downtime and boost efficiencies, writes Matt Newton, Director, Artificial Intelligence and Optimization, AVEVA The industrial sector is in the midst of its biggest disruption in decades. Across the globe, organizations are facing major pressures to become more reliable and productive while reducing costs. Amid the rapid changes that are happening in the market, businesses can no longer afford to continue to operate in a reactive environment. It’s critical for organizations to reduce production loss while extending equipment life – efficiencies that can help businesses achieve operational excellence. But how can this be achieved? The answer lies in Asset Performance Management (APM) – a set of technologies and practices that can monitor assets to identify, diagnose, and prioritize impending equipment problems – continuously and in real time. Well-executed APM empowers organizations to reduce unscheduled downtime, prevent equipment failures, reduce maintenance

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

costs, improve asset utilization, and identify underperforming assets to support overall business objectives. At the heart of APM is the concept of maximizing profitability by balancing risk, cost, and performance of the plant, of the assets, and of the people that are operating all those things. In the last two years, many companies have undergone digital transformation to foster corporate agility and resilience amid an increasingly dynamic business landscape. As such, the concept of APM is also evolving. The intersection of Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and technologies such as AI, predictive maintenance, cloud, big data, and mobility, are bringing assets to the forefront of the business.

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This shift represents the future of industry. By leveraging APM 4.0, assets can be transformed from cost centers into powerful drivers of revenue and profitability.

Step forward, APM 4.0

APM 4.0 is predicated on proactive asset performance management, enabled by predictive alerts and prescriptive analytics. These types of technologies can lower costs, while optimizing labor usage and equipment performance. Through the use of predictive and prescriptive analytics, companies can implement strategies that avoid unplanned downtime for their most critical assets – while also deciding which preventative or corrective asset strategy is the best course of action to take for their less vital equipment. True industrial digital transformation can only be built upon a solid APM foundation – through a system that holistically connects engineering, operations, and performance. APM 4.0 creates a single integrated digital thread across the complete asset lifecycle. Two key factors play a pivotal role in the implementation of an effective APM strategy: • First, there must be connectivity among assets and workers. • Second, decisions that are informed by sensors and intelligent data must be able to be executed in real-time.

The predictive power of data

As automation becomes increasingly prevalent across industries, mechanical devices are being replaced by electronic components in manufacturing, industrial, and factory environments.

Matt Newton

Director, Artificial Intelligence and Optimization, AVEVA

This evolution means more sensors are being used to capture more sophisticated data. In turn, this shift is greatly enhancing potential visibility and insight for owner-operators.

Predictive outperforms reactive

A networked system of sensors and mobile devices can provide decision makers with real-time data on the condition, performance, and safety of their assets, enabling more precise decisions. In stark contrast to the widely used – and typically lagging – indicators that report failures only after they occur, today’s APM 4.0 systems can use sensor data to predict performance degradations and component failures before they happen.

No ‘one size-fits-all’ approach

Predictive and prescriptive analytics have the power to utilize sensor data to make better decisions – creating significant opportunities to improve asset performance. However, it’s also important to understand that it is not always feasible to invoke predictive strategies to mitigate asset risks or optimize performance. For some assets, it might not be financially feasible to apply predictive strategies because the cost of the cure might be more expensive than the value of the benefit – such as planned downtime.

In order to implement an effective APM 4.0 solution, the owner operator should utilize predictive and prescriptive analytics within a wider asset risk management strategy.

The roadmap to APM 4.0

While companies are close to achieving APM 4.0, others may not be quite sure where they should begin their adoption journey. It’s important to remember that embarking on the transition from reactive maintenance to a more proactive or predictive strategy is a process. In many cases, the organization’s culture is the biggest obstacle to overcome. In a reactive environment, “firefighting” maintenance is valued, but in a proactive environment, the strategy should focus on preventing fires from erupting in the first place. When the organization is focused on preventing failures from happening, the culture begins to shift from reactive to proactive. There will always exist some reactive actions, but being able to minimize reactive work will allow for better planning and scheduling, an increase in overall equipment effectiveness and, ultimately, boosted profitability. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

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HOW SASE WORKS Stefan Schachinger, Product Manager, Network Security IoT/OT/ICS at Barracuda writes how SASE delivers security capabilities wherever they’re needed In recent years, as the bounds of the traditional enterprise has been extended and redefined, the attack surface for businesses has rapidly expanded. From a company’s point of view, an employee’s home network is no more secure than a public Wi-Fi access point. The risks are the same. Traditional security solutions cannot protect a device if it sits outside of the company network. The pandemic also accelerated digital transformation, which has led to a large increase in cloud consumption and an increased need for online and digital services. This has created new complications. It’s clear that traditional perimeter security solutions are no longer effective. People are working from many different locations, disconnected from the on-premises security architectures that used to protect them. Rethinking Security at your Organisation The shift to remote work demands that businesses rethink security. So does the rise in successful data breaches, particularly ransomware. The cloud needs to be part of this new approach — simply shifting your current, centralized security infrastructure to the cloud is not going to be effective. You need security controls everywhere, managed and monitored from the cloud. And, with remote workers using SaaS applications such as Office 365 and dealing with sensitive data in the cloud, it’s vital that companies can provide a solution that guarantees secure access to services and applications.

How SASE can Help

That solution is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architectures. SASE is a cloud-based approach that delivers security capabilities wherever they’re needed, whether employees are in the office or working from home, in coworking spaces or subsidiaries, or even in public locations like coffee shops. While centralised security solutions work in specific locations

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

stack from the data centre and moving it to the cloud is not sufficient. It’s vital to have a solution that securely and efficiently connects sites, things, people, and the cloud. This is what SASE brings to the table.

The Five Critical Components of SASE

Stefan Schachinger

Product Manager, Network Security – IoT/OT/ICS, Barracuda such as offices, they struggle to protect remote users. And these solutions can’t simply be shifted to the cloud to do this. A centralised approach in the cloud that requires all traffic travel through it retains many of the limitations of an on-premises centre. SASE works to secure devices and networks anywhere, providing the same level of security regardless of the location or the device used. Many companies share an approach to security that uses multiple security solutions from different providers. This creates a disorganised infrastructure with different components responsible for different functions. SASE, on the other hand, is an integrated solution that consolidates these processes, thus reducing complexity. Using fewer solutions means a lower cost, which is another key benefit of choosing SASE. It also goes beyond traditional VPNs used by remote workers. SASE is more reliable and easier to use than such outdated legacy systems. The real challenge isn’t choosing where your security solution sits, but deciding how it operates. Detaching your security

To ensure an efficient level of security with SASE, a number of other elements need to be integrated. First, implement a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) to connect multiple offices. Adding Firewallas-a-Service capabilities to the SD-WAN network adds additional security to the corporate network. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) is another key component to embed into your SASE solution. ZTNA adds another layer of security by granting users access to data or applications only after they have been authenticated, then allowing them access through an encrypted connection, regardless of the location. A secure web gateway (SWG) blocks unauthorized traffic from entering your organization’s network. This prevents malicious users from entering, and it protects against viruses and malware that could spread across the network. Finally, implementing extended detection and response (XDR) provides threat detection that goes beyond just waiting for threats to enter the network. An XDR provides 24/7 threat detection and response, addressing problems as soon as they are identified. Centralised on-premises solutions are now insufficient. With so many people now working outside of the office, a cloud-based solution that connects all users, locations, and devices is the only way to provide a high level of security across your organisation. A SASE solution that combines at least these five services into its architecture is the way to go. It provides a comprehensive, holistic cloudbased security solution that addresses all the challenges that increased remote and hybrid working bring.

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Cloud Services Under Attack: Closing the Virtual Open Doors to Cyber Crime Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East opines that Tightening cloud security isn’t just about having the right products and services in place, it’s also about nurturing a security-first mentality within an organization as a whole

ith the new hybrid-working model we see organizations increasingly moving more of their workload settings to the cloud. While this transformation offers great agility and scalability benefits, it comes with inherent and increased risks to security and compliance. A simple configuration error can result in your entire organization being exposed to threat actors who no longer need to break into your data center to access your critical data or conduct ransomware attacks. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 99% of cloud security issues will be a result of human error when configuring assets and security in the cloud. At a time when organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on third-party cloud vendors such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, IBM and Google Cloud Platform to securely manage their data, concern around misconfigurations and other vulnerabilities in the cloud is likely to amplify quickly. What’s more, many of the organizations finding themselves at risk have had to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives at an uncomfortable pace over the past two years, resulting in knowledge and talent gaps that only add to their fears around cloud security. Under the shared responsibility model - a security framework designed to ensure accountability for compromised data and other incidents - the cloud provider will offer basic cloud security, but it's up to businesses themselves to secure their own data within the cloud. To put it another way, if cloud providers ensure the town gates are locked and the perimeter is well guarded, it’s still up to businesses to ensure their own doors are locked. That’s no mean feat, particularly when you consider that many large enterprises now rely on three or four cloud platforms as part of a multi-cloud strategy.

Attacks on cloud service providers are ramping up As outlined in our 2022 Security Report, the previous year has

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

seen a tidal wave of attacks that exploit flaws in the services of industry-leading cloud providers. For the cybercriminals involved, the end goal is to gain full control over an organization’s cloud infrastructure or, worse, an organization’s entire IT estate, including its proprietary code and customer records. Needless to say, this can have a devastating impact on the businesses affected and they’re quite right to be concerned. The kinds of flaws we’re talking about here aren’t logic or permission-based flaws derived from an organization’s control policy that threat actors might use to gain unauthorized access and escalate privileges. This could at least be pinpointed and dealt with by the organization in question. Instead, these flaws tend to be critical vulnerabilities within the cloud infrastructure itself that can be much more difficult to guard against. Take the OMIGOD flaw, for example, which broke the floodgates when it came to attacking cloud services in 2021. In September, four critical vulnerabilities were discovered in the Microsoft Azure software agent that enabled users to manage configurations across remote and local environments. An estimated 65% of Azure’s customer base was made vulnerable by this exploit, putting thousands of organizations and millions of endpoint devices at risk. Through this OMIGOD flaw, threat actors were able to execute remote arbitrary code within an organization’s network and escalate root privileges, effectively taking over the network. As part of its September 2021 update, Microsoft addressed the issue but the automatic fix that it released appeared ineffective for several days. Further flaws were exposed in Microsoft Azure’s cloud services throughout the year, including the “ChaosDB” vulnerability which allowed cybercriminals to retrieve several internal keys used to obtain root privileges that would eventually enable them to manage the databases and accounts of targeted organizations. Businesses made vulnerable by this particular “open

» COLUMN door” included Coca-Cola, Skype and even security specialist, Symantec. It’s likely that there will be many more cloud provider vulnerabilities in 2022 but fortunately there are things within an organization’s control that can mitigate the risk.

Locking the doors and bolstering internal security

Tightening cloud security isn’t just about having the right products and services in place, it’s also about nurturing a security-first mentality within an organization as a whole. Regardless of what a service level agreement between an organization and cloud provider might say, the onus ultimately falls on the organization to make sure its customers’ records and other important data are protected. So, before moving mission-critical workloads into the cloud, organizations must ensure that the “doors” to their applications and data are firmly locked. That means getting identity and access management finely tuned, implementing the principle of “least privilege” so that data is only accessed by humans and applications on a strictly need-to-know basis. It also means better segmentation of networks and use of firewall technology to ensure that sensitive data can be appropriately siloed and guarded where necessary. Cloud security is complex, and with multi cloud environments it gets even more complex. So, think about consolidating all your cloud security across all cloud vendors into one solution that monitors all malicious activity and reduces the workload by automating common tasks like policy updates. In an ideal world this would mean a ‘single pane of glass’ approach to security management across all your cloud assets so that you can keep a closer eye on security incidents and focus your effort on those of greatest concern. Any cloud security solution is only as good as the intelligence engine behind it so ask your vendor how they stay on top of emerging and Zero-day threats. At Check Point we have the ThreatCloud which monitors millions of network nodes across the world and uses over 30 AI technologies to identify threats in real time so that they can be blocked before they get onto your cloud, or indeed on-prem network or end user devices. And finally introduce security at the earliest stage of application development. You do not want security checks to slow down your DevOps unduly and delay application rollout but equally you cannot afford to cut corners on security. A DevSecOps approach that allows you to scan code for misconfigurations or even malware as part of the DevOps process will ensure that you don’t ‘bake in’ vulnerabilities at the outset. The shift to the cloud is only going to accelerate as organizations realize the benefits it brings in terms of competitive advantage,

Ram Narayanan

Country Manager, Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East agility and resilience so now is the time to take a responsible approach to security and compliance and scale up your cloud security. It’s a challenging and complex task but the good news is that there are solutions to not only lock down your cloud network but also ways, using AI and automation, to reduce the workload of detecting and preventing threats, even the ones that have yet to be devised. Finally, this can be done at speed…. it’s all in the cloud!

"Cloud security is complex, and with multi cloud environments it gets even more complex. So, think about consolidating all your cloud security across all cloud vendors into one solution that monitors all malicious activity and reduces the workload by automating common tasks like policy updates." APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

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New trends push data centre investments Ehab Kanary, CommScope Infrastructure EMEA, Emerging Markets Sales VP writes that 5G, IoT, AI/ ML and remote work will continue to push Data Centers forward through 2022

n 2022, we will see a continuation of last year’s trends impacting data centers, especially since the COVID pandemic and its consequences have continued to have a greater impact on our lives than we anticipated at the beginning of 2021. All the trends we highlighted last year have taken place: we predicted that 5G rollouts would have an impact on the data center – even as 4G investment remains relevant – and data centers have continued gearing up for the impact. We also saw an acceleration in migration to the cloud, and more edge data centers are being built. IoT and “smart everything” is driving the move to the cloud, and IoT use will continue to skyrocket. Reliance on AI ramped up to process increasingly large amounts of data for latency-sensitive applications. Finally, adoption of single-mode fiber accelerated because of the need to process more data more quickly. Most people had expected to be back in hybrid work environments by mid-2021, but we’re still largely using remote workstyles. In fact, we may likely see remote work becoming a permanent workstyle for many knowledge workers, at least part of the time. In the Middle East, the Government initiatives such as UAE vision 2030, New Kuwait’s 2035 nationwide digital roadmap, Bahrain’s Cloud First and Saudi’s Vision 2030 will be instrumental in promoting data center growth in the region. Results from these initiatives are already visible with UAE opening two new data centers with Khazna and the largest solar-powered data centre in Dubai. Meanwhile Saudi has earmarked a $18bn plan for 18 data centers around the kingdom. Let’s look at these trends more closely.

5G Will Continue to Ramp Up

Service providers and private companies will continue to evaluate the most pragmatic ways to add capacity and capability into 5G

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

deployment plans. In terms of its impact on the data center, 5G promises faster access to information, and that will drive more edge datacenter buildouts. More and more data are latency-sensitive and requires faster access, therefore, what we’re seeing is the migration from large core, small edge data center architecture to smaller core, larger edge architecture. Cloud core 5G will expand data center builds significantly in private companies. If you can build private 5G based on cloud architecture with local radios in the cloud, that’s a very data-intensive, latency-sensitive application, and that will drive growth in data centers and edge data centers as well. This trend will start in 2022, but it will also roll out over several years as businesses work out getting the right to use 5G spectrum from carriers.

IoT will Continue to Skyrocket

IoT growth shows no signs of slowing. In fact, according to Statista, the number of IoT devices worldwide will almost triple from 8.74 billion in 2020 to more than 25.4 billion in 2030. We foresee ongoing strong business investments in IoT. Managers are looking more closely at how they can run their businesses better – optimizing shipping, for example – and putting sensors in the right places can help with that effort. When it comes enabling the IoT and smart things, everything comes back to data. If you think about all the tiny data points involved in something as simple as a door sensor (when is it open, when is it closed, is it locked or unlocked, who unlocked or locked it) and you multiply that by the number of sensor applications (temperature, occupancy, lighting, water usage, etc.) it’s all data that needs to be stored someplace and accessed by an application or user. The infrastructure that makes that work is all in the data center. In addition, we’re seeing that more and more data is time sensitive, and it needs to be processed at the edge, so the IoT is also fueling the growth in edge data centers. Today, most of the edge buildouts are being done by public cloud companies, and some providers are building edge data centers for latency-sensitive applications like video. (Consider the explosion in streaming video services as a core driver of this trend.) In fact, the biggest impact from IoT in the data center will be video applications – entertainment, security monitoring, data mining and safety, for example. Companies need to store that data and act on it in real time, rather than analyzing static data or photos.

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Cloud Migration Will Continue

Scalability and cost are driving people to the cloud. Analysts claimed that greater than 85% of organizations will adopt a cloudfirst principle and that over 95% of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms by 2025. When you can rent something and scale it within days versus planning and building something in years, that’s a compelling argument for the cloud. Both public and private cloud infrastructure will grow, with spending on public cloud services in the MENA region reaching up to $5.7 billion in 2022 (up by 19.2%). Large enterprises will use a hybrid model, while smaller companies will use public cloud alone. What’s slowing growth is compliance – data security and compliance restrictions. For example, companies and governments have compliance regulations about keeping some data within a country or on-premises or protecting healthcare information.

We will Increasingly Rely on AI and AR

AI and machine learning (ML) use cases combined with augmented reality (AR) will grow rapidly in 2022. Facebook announced a name change and is now orienting the whole company toward the AR-driven metaverse. AR will also be used in interfaces, for B-to-C marketing, for sales, training, and service applications. For example, AR for data center technicians can be linked to a job order application so that they can use a smartphone to show them which cable to replace in a switch. The rise of the metaverse will also drive increased use of AR. We can see a point in the very near future where users can duplicate a physical interaction with a virtual one. We’ve grown used to seeing each other on video, and we’ll get used to seeing each other in AR worlds. We need AI because as you collect more data, you need AI to process that data – you can’t do it manually anymore (think of facial recognition or contact tracing). Anywhere you have lots of complex data, machine learning will apply. This could help with the supply chain crisis by automatically calculating shipping routes and helping with logistics, for example. The biggest risk with AI is trusting it too much. We might put too much emphasis on the algorithms rather than ensuring that we’re supplying high-quality data. With data, it’s garbage in, garbage out, and if you’re solely relying on AI, you can get some poor decision-making or false assumptions if the data is bad.

Single-Mode Fiber Use Will Grow with the Move to 400/800-gigabit Networks

Single-mode fiber adoption has accelerated. While multimode fiber remains popular, single-mode fiber deployments are growing faster than multimode deployments. As we drive to 400 or 800 Gbps in the data center, we’re seeing more single-mode fiber deployed, particularly in cloud and hyperscale data centers. You may think that being at 10Gb or 100Gb today means the transition to 400Gb is a long way off. But if you add up the number of 10Gb (or faster) ports you're responsible for supporting, you'll

Ehab Kanary

Emerging Markets Sales VP CommScope Infrastructure EMEA

see that the need to move to 400Gb and beyond is really not that far away.

Remote Workstyles Go Mainstream

Remote work will become a standard workstyle, and IT managers are thinking about how to best gear up for that. All the videoconferencing use for work, education, and entertainment in 2021 had a big impact on the data center, and we see this trend expanding in 2022. There’s a lot of video storage required as people record live video calls, and users expect easy, jitter-free access to that video. This also puts a burden on data centers. So, as 5G, the IoT, remote work and cloud migration place new burdens on data centers, IT managers will compensate by adding storage, leveraging AI and ML to process data more efficiently, building edge data centers, and deploying single-mode fiber to increase speeds. Despite ongoing COVID and supply chain issues, we anticipate a lot of data center activity as IT managers retool for the new normal. APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» TECHSHOW

DELL POWERVAULT ME5

Dell Technologies has unleashed Dell PowerVault ME5, a series of three new entry storage models that are purpose-built and optimized for SAN & DAS environments. The storage solution is poised to address a wide range of small-to-medium business (SMB) business challenges, including keeping pace with data growth, improving operational simplicity, supporting newer and higher value workloads and delivering business outcomes much faster. PowerVault ME5 does this with a modern software design that offers twice the performance, throughput, capacity and memory of its PowerVault ME4 predecessor.

Highlights: •

PowerVault ME5’s design is highly suited to support a broad set of application workloads including High Per-

formance Computing File Systems with BeeGFS, PixStore and NFS file systems, Safety and Security (CCTV at the Edge), Microsoft and VMware Virtualization, up to 500 Virtual Desktops, select Edge use cases (Oil and Gas Exploration and Cloud Gaming) and many more without compromising performance or availability SLAs. •

PowerVault ME5 is also well suited for the Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) with its OEM-ready design.

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PowerVault ME5 can be configured as an all-flash array' PowerVault ME5 is an affordable hybrid storage choice for any of these application environments that don’t demand the low latencies of all-flash and NVMe.

LINKSYS ATLAS PRO 6 Linksys Atlas Pro 6 with Velop Intelligent Mesh is a dual-band WiFi 6 router that simultaneously delivers premium performance to more than 30 devices per node. Access to 160 MHz unleashes the true power of WiFi 6 technology—the least-congested channels on the 5GHz band offer incredibly fast connectivity. With easy setup, advanced security and parental controls, Linksys Atlas Pro 6 is an essential upgrade to any home. Access to 160 MHz unleashes the true power of WiFi 6 technology—these are the least congested channels available on the 5GHz band and offer incredibly fast connectivity. Faster peak data rates allow work-from-home, online learning, streaming, and gaming devices to operate simultaneously without diminished bandwidth.he Qualcomm Immersive Home 216 Platform delivers the ultimate WiFi 6 experience. This next-generation technology transforms home and business WiFi with its wire-like stability and blazing-fast performance. The Linksys

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

Atlas Pro 6 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh system uses the latest WiFi 6 (802.11ax) standard to deliver true gigabit mesh WiFi speeds throughout your entire home, up to 5.4 Gbps with 6-stream connectivity • • • • • •

WiFi 6 means higher speeds for more devices Velop Intelligent Mesh brings maximum coverage Access to 160 MHz channels unleashes ultra-reliable connectivity Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) reduces interference Qualcomm Immersive Home 216 Platform delivers wire-like stability Easy setup and control through the free Linksys app

» TECHSHOW

D-LINK DIS-3650AP Empowered by 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi and boasting high-power external antennas, the DIS-3650AP provides triple the speeds of legacy 802.11n devices. It easily surpasses the Gigabit hurdle with dual-band speeds of up to 1200 Mbps, and meanwhile, the indispensable MU-MIMO feature handles more data sources simultaneously, essential in any device or sensor-dense area. The DIS-3650AP can hit the ground running with its fully equipped interface: two high-power dual-band antennas ensure fast and far-reaching outdoor coverage. Meanwhile, the Gigabit LAN port, with support for PoE offers a stable wired backhaul connection. The slick combination of metal and reinforced plastic for the casing boasts an impressive IP67 rating, protecting it from the typical hazards in industrial areas. Furthermore, it ensures total protection from harmful dusts and a high resistance against water. Wide temperature tolerance of -20 to 65℃ keeps mission-critical data flowing even in the heat of the summer or the coldest of winters.

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Superior speeds and throughput with dual-band 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi, offering speeds of up to 1200 Mbps x2 MU-MIMO better handles multiple devices & sensors and enhances capacity One 10/100/1000 Ethernet port and one RJ-45 console port Airtime Fairness, Band Steering and Fast Roaming greatly optimize connectivity for connected devices Wi-Fi signal strength indicator Supports WPA2™ Encryption security for more protection IP-67-rated dust-tight and water-resistant metal housing Easy to manage with D-Link’s free software-based management solution, Nuclias Connect

FLEXPOD XCS NetApp, a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, together with Cisco, announced the evolution of FlexPod with the introduction of FlexPod XCS, providing one automated platform for modern applications, data and hybrid cloud services. FlexPod is composed of pre-validated storage, networking, server technologiesHighlights: from Cisco and NetApp. The new FlexPod XCS platform is designed to accelerate the delivery of modern applications and data in a hybrid cloud environment. FlexPod XCS is the first and only hybrid cloud solution natively integrated across all three major public cloud providers. Additionally, organizations will have the option to use FlexPod-as-a-Service, a paythe groundwork for continued joint inas-you-grow pricing model for financial novation that will bring new solutions to and operational flexibility. market for hybrid cloud, containers, and modern workloads. FlexPod XCS simplifies hybrid cloud operations by increasing accessibility and FlexPod XCS also allows IT departments scalability, extending the infrastructure to gain new insights with full-stack visifrom an on-premises and edge standard to bility and customized automation capathe hybrid cloud. This new offering lays bilities that increase operational produc-

tivity. The new FlexPod-as-a-Service consumption model enables customers to have more financial and operational flexibility by aligning costs based on usage.

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Hybrid Cloud Connectivity: By extending organizations’ data fabric, customers gain the operational certainty of putting the right apps and data in the right place at the right time. Automation: Comprehensive infrastructure automation across all lifecycle phases using Cisco Intersight Cloud Orchestrator and NetApp automated scripts and workflows to simplify day-to-day IT operations including configuration, deployment, expansion, and infrastructure consumption and optimization. Visibility: Providing an enhanced and unified view of all FlexPod components through Cisco Intersight, enabling organizations to respond to their business needs more quickly with more intelligent resource decisions

APRIL 2022 / CXO DX

» TRENDS & STATS

OVER 40% OF UAE-BASED BUSINESSES REALIGNING PRIORITIES FOR PLANET, PROFIT Companies that address these gaps now gain a real competitive advantage in the battle for customers and talent. According to the report, businesses that truly want to embed sustainability at their core, its leaders must start to use data to deliver more sustainable outcomes – and quickly. Failure to act and 35% of knowledge workers and 32% of business decision-makers believe employees would leave the business. This, the report reveals, could be a business-destroying move amidst a global talent shortage, especially if all of a company’s competitors are addressing the gap.

Invest in reskilling to curb fear of job loss to AI New research report by enterprise data cloud company Cloudera reveals more than one-quarter of business decision-makers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are now increasingly investing in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) ahead of developing new products/services (24%) or growing shareholder value (15%). Most knowledge workers also believe as much as 49% of the data their business uses on a day-to-day basis should be focused on doing good for the communities it serves. This is a sentiment 66% of business decision-makers agree with — a clear indication that profit and ESG are no longer mutually exclusive pursuits. The comprehensive survey, which unearthed exclusive insights from a total of 2,213 enterprise business decision-makers globally including the UAE examines the fact that ESG is identified as a top priority for business leaders and those who fail to act for the good of communities put business growth and talent at huge risk. The study also explores the shift in attitude towards Artificial Intelligence

CXO DX / APRIL 2022

(AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Data Analytics. The survey dubbed ‘Limitless: The Positive Power of AI Study’ also targeted C-Suite and a total of 10,880 knowledge workers among which 528 are UAE-based.

Failing to act for social good is risky for business growth, talent

Thirty-three percent of the UAE business decision-makers and knowledge workers surveyed believe that their respective companies should publicly support sustainable business practices. Additionally, the vast majority of knowledge workers (56%) argue there is a need to use Data Analytics to deliver more sustainable business practices that benefit both their organization and the communities it serves. The data also found that 61% of decision-makers claim to be very active regarding the implementation of these technologies. However, 31% claim to be active but lack the required knowledge in order to implement these technologies.

The research findings also dispel the long-held belief that workers were afraid of AI taking over their jobs. An explosion in the volume of data now available to businesses has made AI/ML a common threat to many job roles and a powerful ally. Over half of UAE-based knowledge workers say their daily tasks have been augmented or automated by AI (73%), ML (63%), and Data Analytics (78%) in the last 12 months. The biggest benefits of this have been saving time (40%) and allowing them/their team to focus more on strategic work (32%). What’s more, 88% of knowledge workers are now comfortable taking on a new role due to AI/ML/Data Analytics. To capitalize on this, businesses have to do more and invest in employee reskilling. 96% of business decision-makers in the UAE said their organization will commit to continuous investment in reskilling employees as more tasks are automated. But the investment in people can’t stop there. Companies also need to make employees partners in the upskilling and reskilling processes to ensure a level playing field for staff.

Brought to you by

Future Workspace Summit & Awards Enabling & Securing Work From Anywhere United Arab Emirates, 16th June 2022

In-person Summit & Awards 2nd edition

For Awards Nominations and Registrations, please visit

www.futureworkspacesummit.com The Future Workspace Summit & Awards by CXO DX intends to generate more insights into the role of Technology in reimagining the future of work, as the workforce becomes more distributed. The event’s Awards segment will recognize superlative initiatives taken up by companies and CIOs in their eﬀorts towards workspace and overall digital transformation. Awards will be also presented to vendors, SIs and distributors in speciﬁc segments, as a recognition for their excellence.

Works with all modems and ISPs.

Multi-gigabit WiFi 6 speeds

A better WiFi has arrived. Linksys Atlas Pro 6 with Velop Intelligent Mesh is a dual‑band WiFi 6 system that simultaneously delivers next‑level streaming, gaming and uninterrupted video calls to more than 30 devices per node. Access to 160 MHz unleashes the true power of WiFi 6 technology—these are the least congested channels available on the 5GHz band and offer incredibly fast connectivity.

30+ devices Capacity per node

AX5400

up to 5.4 Gbps

Covers homes with up to

4-5 bedrooms

1/2/3-Pack: Model# MX5500 MX5501 / MX5502 / MX5503

WiFi 6 Offers 4x More Capacity*. Mesh WiFi 6 delivers true gigabit speeds—up to 5.4 Gbps with 6-stream connectivity—throughout your entire home inside & out. 160 MHz Capable. Access to the least congested channels on the 5 GHz band unleashes the true power of WiFi 6, allowing working from home, e-learning and streaming & gaming on more devices than ever.

Linksys.com

New launch

Atlas Pro 6 Mesh WiFi 6 dual-band system

No interference from the neighbours. Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) reduces interference from neighboring networks. Industry-Leading Technology. The Qualcomm™ Immersive Home 216 Platform transforms home & business WiFi to wired-like stability and speed. Easy Setup and Control. It’s simple to set up and lets you manage your network or prioritise devices from anywhere, all with the free Linksys app.