ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, June 12 2011: Cisco hosted a CIO roundtable in the UAE to discuss the latest threats and trends in security across enterprises. The event took place on the 7th of June 2011 at the Saadiyat Golf Course Abu Dhabi and was attended by key chief information officers (CIOs) from the UAE.

During the event, Cisco has announced that it has extended its security leadership by introducing recently new security, management, and video solutions to its Borderless Networks portfolio to help information technology departments more efficiently manage the proliferation of mobile devices, ongoing changes in workforce habits and the impact of video on the network.

Key Highlights

Security has been one of the top three concerns for CIOs for at least three years' running. From more sophisticated attacks to end-users still giving the keys away, and new corporate governance responsibilities, the 'to do' list is endless. The roundtable touched upon the need to build a culture of security in every organization while managing risks strategically.

Among the event's goals was to help local participating companies to better understand the state of information security among their industry peers globally. There was special emphasis on how companies need to keep adapting to new threats and a changing business environment and how do companies protect information, applications and other assets leading to security becoming a competitive advantage for organizations.

The roundtable also highlighted some of the Cisco security report 2010 key findings that organizations need to be prepared for. Today, it is estimated that there are about 5 connected devices per person in operation worldwide, but that number will pale into insignificance in 2013, when it is projected that 140 devices per person will be in operation globally. At the same time, security threats will be on a similarly dramatic trajectory; from 2.6 million identified threats last year, to 5.7 million in 2013.

The Cisco Connected Technology World Report (2010) found that the demand to work from anywhere with the user's device of choice is increasing dramatically, as is the demand to use video to enhance communications. Responding to those demands, Cisco is delivering networking technology and services from Cisco and our partners that enables IT professionals to centrally manage and automate security and access control for any device across the organization, as well as supporting embedded video and voice for emerging business practices.

Supporting Quotes

Philippe Roggeband, business development manager, Cisco Emerging Markets

"What we are witnessing today is what we call at Cisco the Borderless Networks environment where employees can access email, internet, any information, from any device anywhere, anytime. As wireless devices beyond the usual desktop and laptop computers start connecting to corporate networks, the threat window only grows where cyber criminals need to find only a single unguarded "in" to begin snooping into a network. Therefore, businesses must focus on security to help ensure that their networks and vital corporate information are protected from evolving security threats."

Saleem Al Marzouki, Senior Vice President Technology, Etisalat

"Security is high on the agenda of many CIOs in today's connected world as enterprises are using business networks to communicate, collaborate and access data. The discussion today was a great opportunity to discuss the evolving threats that companies are facing and the need to transform their IT model to face the increasing security challenges."

Neil Haskins, Information Security, Enterprise Technology & Services, Mubadala

"The CIO Roundtable created a fantastic opportunity to share ideas with people outside of my corporate environment. The forum delivered a safe and comfortable platform to talk and share experiences. I have come away with several ideas that I intend to put into action. Cisco have responded quickly to create this space, to act as guides and thought leaders."

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