Thales, a global leader in information systems, cybersecurity and data security, has announced to set up a cybersecurity hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which will help the public and private sector organizations in the Middle East protect themselves from growing cyber threats.

According to ITP.net, Dubai Cyber Hub will be aimed at providing more robust cyber security protocols to the businesses in the gulf region to help them improve their competitive advantage and adopt a more proactive and effective response to customer needs.

The hub would also focus on developing strategic partnerships with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and local academics to promote cybersecurity awareness in the region and ensure best practices are implemented by customers and businesses to counter cyber threats.

Thales says the hub will benefit from its local expertise and use group’s proven methodologies like cyber vulnerability investigations, cyber health checks,  SCADA specific risk assessment, industrial control as well as training, simulation and threat intelligence to enable the customers deliver successful business and digital transformation.

Dubai Cyber Hub will develop strategic partnerships with SMEs and local academics to promote cybersecurity awareness in UAE and wider Middle East

Pascale Sourisse, Senior Executive Vice-President International Development, Thales said with cybersecurity threats ever-increasing, the organizations need to adopt a more proactive and dynamic approach to secure their critical data, and Dubai Cyber Hub will facilitate them in this mission.

“GCC countries, and in particular the UAE, are at the heart of digital transformation. As the value chain becomes increasingly digitised, the risk of cyberattacks is also on the rise. The stakes are high, and cybersecurity is the critical component in the equation; it must be built into applications to protect businesses and critical infrastructure from the very beginning of the process,” Mr Sourisse said in a statement.

“Through our Cyber Hub, we will work with our customers to bolster their organisations against vulnerabilities and deliver world-class digital transformation safely and securely,” he added.

The firm has invested more than €1 billion on Internet of in Things (IoT), cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, big data and other key digital technologies over the past three years.