RESOLUTION IT has been helping businesses in Dubai to improve their cyber security in the wake of a spate of high profile global data breaches.
Our training initiative there with leading organisations, including Bailiwick headquartered subsidiaries and Middle Eastern clients, coincided with our second anniversary of operating in the Gulf state.
‘We’d planned to use the opportunity to raise the risk profile of cyber security and helping to advise clients about the dangers of data theft and reputational damage,’ said joint managing director Olly Duquemin.
‘Recent events like the “Paradise Papers” and the Uber hack that affected 57 million customers and drivers certainly reinforced the need for vigilance and our message was well received.’
Resolution’s Middle Eastern office operates from Jumeirah Lake Towers in the heart of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), which was established in 2002 to establish the city as a hub for global trade, and so has a close understanding of attitudes in the Gulf to cyber crime.
‘From our work there, we’re aware that some businesses do not see cyber security as a threat or why and how they may be targeted. They do need to recognise and respond to the very real dangers that exist,’ said Mr Duquemin.
That lack of awareness also prompted the trip to the United Arab Emirates’ largest city for an intensive round of tailored awareness training aimed specifically at senior delegates operating businesses in the DMCC.
The feedback was very good, said Mr Duquemin, and Resolution IT’s office there has gained significant amounts of new business.
‘Appleby has made clear that the “Paradise Papers” were not a data leak but a serious criminal act and its systems were accessed by an intruder who deployed the tactics of a professional hacker,’ said Mr Duquemin.
This reinforces how companies need to remain vigilant and understand that the threats they face are real and continuous.
The courses emphasised that one of the best ways to protect data was by promoting a consistent security awareness culture in a business and through ongoing training about how cyber attacks were increasing in frequency and severity.
Since opening with just two staff in 2015, Resolution IT’s Dubai team has expanded to eight as its outsourced model, specialising in managed IT services, solutions and security, has proved particularly effective for trading companies in the DMCC.
Further expansion is anticipated as Resolution IT, which launched its proactive approach to IT support as an alternative to traditional ‘break-fix’ models 10 years ago, reports strong demand in the Middle East for its fully scalable services.
