CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE - DEFENCE
11:00 – 11:00
DEFENCE Moderator Opening Remarks GISEC MAINSTAGE Moderator 
Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham TV Anchor
11:00 – 11:50
DEFENCE Strengthening Collective Defense GISEC MAINSTAGE Securing digital systems against threats requires constant vigilance, innovation, and collaboration. Defending against cyber attacks is vital for national security. This High- Level Panel will discuss importance of sharing information and strengthening collective defense Moderator 
Col Daniel Hikes-Wurm Senior Advisor for Defence Policy Federal Ministry of Defence Austria
Panelist 
H.E. Dr. Gevorg Mantashyan First Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Republic of Armenia
Mr. Rastislav Janota Special Envoy for Cyber Security National Security Authority, Embassy of the Slovak Republic Washington
11:50 – 12:05
DEFENCE Fusion Center development strategies for the Air-Gapped environments GISEC MAINSTAGE In an era of relentless cyber threats, the defense
industry faces unique challenges in safeguarding critical assets and
sensitive information. Establishing a robust Cyber Fusion Center (CFC)
tailored to the defense sector's needs is essential. The speaker will present
latest cases to hit isolated infrastructures. By leveraging innovative
strategies and technologies, organizations can fortify their defenses and
uphold the integrity of their operations. Speakers 
Vladimir Golyashev Director of CyberDefence Consulting Practice, Group-IB Netherlands
12:05 – 12:35
DEFENCE DEFENCE CYBER STRATEGY PANEL GISEC MAINSTAGE Reinforcing the “Defend Forward” strategy
Are DoD preemptively defending critical assets by actively disrupting or halting cyber threats, are they shifting from reactive to proactive strategies? Moderator 
Dr. Osei Bonsu Dickson Technical Advisor Securities and Exchange Commission Ghana
Speakers 
Major General Manjeet Singh Joint Secretary National Security Council Secretariat(NSCS) India
Ashley Acedillo Deputy Director General for Cyber and Emerging Threats National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Philippines
Col Daniel Hikes-Wurm Senior Advisor for Defence Policy Federal Ministry of Defence Austria
12:35 – 12:50
DEFENCE Spotlight Session: Cybersecurity Transformation GISEC MAINSTAGE Speakers 
Mariam Alhammadi Head of CSOC Ministry of Interior United Arab Emirates
12:50 – 13:05
DEFENCE Cyber Wars – How the Empire Strikes Back GISEC MAINSTAGE Cyber in Defence – a look at the current attacks and the future of attacks with a specific focus on the defence sector and the mitigations nations need to be looking at in order to protect forces both at home and overseas as the sophistication of cyber attacks develops. Using real world examples of old and new types of attacks and how they impact organisations we will look at what the future holds. Speakers 
Katie Diacon Cyber Partner Deloitte ME
13:05 – 13:20
DEFENCE Neutralizing threat actors armed with future zero-day exploits GISEC MAINSTAGE Sophisticated threat actors, whether affiliated with
cybercrime or state-sponsored, are opportunistic. Organisations from
healthcare to retail are falling victim and this opportunistic modus operandi
is absolutely impacting and exploiting security-conscious sectors such as
finance and energy. Join me as we examine past zero-days, the threat actors
behind them and, using intelligence and threat modelling techniques to
identify patterns. Can organisations defend against the unknown and can they
put in place defences against future zero-day attacks? Speakers 
Matthew Haynes Director - International Development Sekoia UK
13:20 – 13:40
DEFENCE SPOTLIGHT GISEC MAINSTAGE Securing Supply Chain to protect Department of Defense’s objectives – A story of 12yr saga in dealing with 200,000+ contractors in supply chain
• Emergence of requirement of federal law to protect Defense Information in Contractor managed systems - Talks didn't work, so Law was needed
• Challenges in applicability & roll out for 200,000+ contractors for varied scope
• Collaboration between Govt & Contractors - The need of hour to have acceptability from Industry
• Benefits delivered at the end - Keeping Nations interest in mind Speakers 
Dr. Shri Kulkarni Defense Security Advisor & Strategist North America, Canada
13:40 – 14:00
DEFENCE OUT OF THE BOX GISEC MAINSTAGE What would you do when an actual victim gets in contact with you? Speakers 
Ayleen Charlotte Fraud victim turned anti-fraud hero
14:00 – 14:15
DEFENCE Building an Exposure Management Program for Better Ransomware Readiness GISEC MAINSTAGE Ransomware continues to be a threat to enterprises
globally, however, there’s no need to accept it as fate. Through case
studies, we will demonstrate the effectiveness of Security Validation in
proactively testing your attack surface. Join Jay Mar-Tang, will highlight
the tangible benefits of adopting a strategic Exposure Management framework
for reducing ransomware risk. Walk away with a blueprint for proactively
testing and validating the effectiveness of your existing security
investments. Speakers 
Jason Mar-Tang AVP Field CISO Pentera USA
14:15 – 14:30
DEFENCE TRUE STORY - (Powered by Gitex Africa) GISEC MAINSTAGE Darkness to Light: The Ghanaian Utility Company's Resilient Victory Over a
5-Day Cyber Attack Blackout
A ransomware attack severely disrupted the
nation's largest electricity vendor, leaving many customers without power.
The company quickly responded by isolating affected systems and consulting
cybersecurity experts, causing widespread inconvenience and financial losses.
Subsequently, it strengthened its defenses, emphasizing employee training,
digital protection, and industry collaboration to address various challenges.
The incident underscored the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and
ongoing industry cooperation.
Speakers Dr. Osei Bonsu Dickson Technical Advisor Securities and Exchange Commission Ghana
14:30 – 14:50
DEFENCE FUTURE TALKS GISEC MAINSTAGE Is your cyber security program realistic & measurable?
Phil will illustrate how success and the effectiveness of your cyber security program can be hard to measure. Management continually want to see KPIs or indicators that they are now more secure after spending large amounts of money on security defences. So how do we demonstrate that the money was well spent? Speakers 
Phil Cracknell CISO for a UK Defence company & Former Cabinet Office Cyber Security Subject Matter Expert. UK Defence company United Kingdom
14:50 – 15:10
DEFENCE Fortifying National and EU Cyber Defense through Regional Collaboration and Technological Innovation - (Powered by Gitex Europe) GISEC MAINSTAGE The transnational nature of cyber threats and risks
inherent in emerging technologies go beyond the capacities of smaller states
and therefore requires a holistic and multinational approach. The EU´s
ambition in establishing comprehensive Cyber Defence includes building up its
full-spectrum cyber defence capabilities, strengthening overall resilience,
increasing investment in new technologies, and enhancing cooperation within
and beyond the Union. Another long-term priority for the EU and its member
states is to maintain an open, free, stable, and secure cyberspace. Speakers Col Daniel Hikes-Wurm Senior Advisor for Defence Policy Federal Ministry of Defence Austria
15:10 – 15:15
DEFENCE GITEX Europe CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE STAGE The transnational nature of cyber threats and risks
inherent in emerging technologies go beyond the capacities of smaller states
and therefore requires a holistic and multinational approach. The EU´s
ambition in establishing comprehensive Cyber Defence includes building up its
full-spectrum cyber defence capabilities, strengthening overall resilience,
increasing investment in new technologies, and enhancing cooperation within
and beyond the Union. Another long-term priority for the EU and its member
states is to maintain an open, free, stable, and secure cyberspace.
15:15 – 16:00
DEFENCE CYBER ESPIONAGE PANEL GISEC MAIN STAGE Outlook : Defence & Law Enforcement Agencies & CISOs
Deterring cyber espionage: The Invisible Battle lines
Nation-state actors amplify cyber warfare with
state-sponsored hacking, blurring traditional and cyber warfare, impacting
geopolitics profoundly. Cyberespionage''s shift to Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS)
signals rising threats. With a surge in incidents, including state-sponsored
activities and MaaS growth, robust defenses are vital.
Moderator
Nathan Swain
CISO Europe, Asia & MENA region, Binance Former Senior Security Advisor to the U.K. Government
United Arab Emirates
Co-Moderator
Ayad (Ed)
SleimanHead of Information Security King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Speakers 
Dr. Deepak Kumar Sr. Cyber Intelligence & Digital Forensics Expert India
Col Francel P Taborlupa Spokesperson Armed Forces of the Philippines Philippines
James Lyne Chief Technology and Innovation Officer SANS
Shahab Siddiqui Global Head of Cyber Security Petrofac UAE
Anas Mosa Director of Information Technology - PIF Projects Public Investment Fund Saudi Arabia
Biju Hameed Head - Technology Infrastructure Operations Dubai Airports UAE
Islam Rashad Regional Cyber Security Advisor WWT UK
16:00 – 17:00
DEFENCE Fight Scams together in the Arab World GISEC MAINSTAGE • $ 1
billion was lost in scams last year globally, the Arab world is no
exception.
• Learn how Arab communities are increasingly targeted by scammers.
• See examples from across the globe how countries are raising scam
awareness.
• Discuss how we can jointly fight scammers better by sharing intel and
data.
Attendee Profile
government, law enforcement, financial services providers, telecom
operators who are interested in sharing experiences in raising awareness on
scams and searching for joint solutions to fight scammers. Speakers 
Prof. Jorij Abraham Managing Director Global Anti Scam Alliance / Scamadviser.com Netherlands
Ayleen Charlotte Fraud victim turned anti-fraud hero
17:00 – 17:00
DEFENCE Close GISEC MAINSTAGE