AVAR 2023 is the 26th edition of AVAR’s annual cyber security conferences and the first to be held in the Middle East. The UAE is a focal point for the cyber security industry in the region and hosting AVAR 2023 in Dubai, in partnership with the Cyber Security Council of the UAE, enabled AVAR to pursue its mission of catalyzing international cyber security cooperation amongst industry stakeholders in the Middle East. AVAR 2023 was hosted from 28th November 2023 to 1st December 2023 at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.
Secure Ecosystem: Strategic, Pragmatic, Futuristic was chosen as the theme for AVAR 2023 to emphasize viewing cyber security as a strategic area, the need for pragmatic solutions for real-world effectiveness, and the importance of anticipating the evolution of technology and cyber threats.
Delegates, speakers, and sponsors from 32 countries gathered at AVAR 2023 to share knowledge, network, and identify opportunities for collaboration, underscoring the importance assigned to AVAR’s conferences by the international cyber security community.
Expert Insight
AVAR 2023 was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security, United Arab Emirates Government, who also delivered a special address to the audience.
Mr. Kesavardhanan J, the CEO of AVAR, provided the welcome address.
Keynote Speeches
Keynote speeches on the first day of the conference (29th November, 2023) were delivered by Lt. Colonel. Dr. Hamad Khalifa Al Nuaimi, Head of Telecommunication, Abu Dhabi Police, and Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem, Cybersecurity & AI Expert, Government of Abu Dhabi. The keynote speech on the second day (30th November, 2023) was delivered by Mr. Ravi Baldev, CTO Cyber Resilience, Dell Technologies EMEA.
AVAR’s conferences are well known for the depth and breadth of the expertise shared at the conferences. AVAR 2023 included 42 presentations and panel discussions with 60 speakers from 38 organizations and 23 countries.
Threat Research
Cyber threat research forms the backbone on which cyber security solutions are built, and the world’s most prominent threat researchers presented their work at AVAR 2023. Researchers from Acronis, AhnLab, Anomali, Bitdefender, Cisco Talos, Constructor Technology, CrowdStrike, CTA, Doctor Web, ESET, Forescout Technologies, Fortinet, F-Secure, G DATA, Gen Digital, JPCERT, K7 Computing, Kaspersky, KSign, NTT Security Holdings, Positive Technologies, Quick Heal, SANDS Lab, Saudi Aramco, SentinelOne, Sophos, Trend Micro, and Younite shared their research outcomes at the event.
Panel Discussions
AVAR 2023 also included real-world insight from cyber security leaders through CISO Connect where cyber security professionals shared their experience in defending enterprises against relentless cyberattacks. CISOs and other cyber security leaders from Abu Dhabi Police General Head Quarter, Al Danube, Anomali, AV-Comparatives, Cisco Talos, CTA, CyberGate, CyberShelter, CyberSmithSECURE, DAMAC Properties, Dubai Police Academy, ESET, GN Media – Gulfnews, HBL Microfinance Bank LTD, Help AG, Huawei, K7 Computing, Nozomi Networks, PwC Middle East, Schneider Electric, SE Labs, and Y100.ai participated in panel discussions on ‘Positioning cyber security as a contributor to stakeholder value,’ ‘Mitigating cyber risk from geopolitical tensions,’ ‘Improving data security in the digital-first enterprise,’ and ‘Efficacy of Realworld Testing for EDR and XDR Solutions.’
Awards
Cyber security leaders play a critical role in ensuring that business operations are not impacted by cyber attacks, through a combination of technical knowledge, relationship building within and outside the organization, and tirelessly advocating for cyber security transformation. AVAR 2023 celebrated their achievements with awards for CISOs in multiple categories:
- Best CISO – Startup
- Illyas Kooliyankal – Cyber Shelter
- Mirza Azfar Baig – Cansol Consulting
- Best CISO – Midsize Organization
- David Brown – CyberGate
- Shailesh Mani – DBMSC Steel
- Best CISO – Enterprise
- Anil Pais – Al Danube
- Javed Alam – DAMAC Properties
- Path Finder
- Lt. Colonel. Dr. Hamad Khalifa Al Nuaimi – Abu Dhabi Police
Other awards presented at the awards ceremony included
- AVAR Chairman Award
- Righard Zwienenberg – ESET
- Best AVAR Member
- Cyber Threat Alliance
- Best Speaker
- Dr. Vlad Constantin Craciun – Bitdefender
AVAR 2023 also included awards for all sponsors for their support and contributions towards the event. A Lucky Draw was also conducted from the submitted feedback forms.
Social Events
AVAR 2023 also hosted social events to facilitate networking amongst participants, as interacting in a relaxed environment promotes conversations that lead to the discovery of interesting and impactful collaborative opportunities. In addition to the refreshment breaks and lunch during the conference, AVAR 2023 also included a Welcome Drinks Reception on 28th November and a Gala Dinner on 29th November at the Grand Hyatt Dubai. Conference participants appreciated the hospitality provided and the convivial environment created by the social events.
Partners
AVAR 2023 was supported by many prominent organizations associated with the cybersecurity industry. Event partners included
- Silver Sponsors
- AV-Comparatives
- Cisco Talos
- Cyber Threat Alliance
- Networking Kit Sponsor
- K7 Security
- Internet Sponsor
- ReasonLabs
- T-Shirt Sponsor
- SE Labs
- Associate Sponsors
- Aramco
- Kaspersky
- Name Badge Sponsor
- ThreatBook
- Supporting Sponsors
- AppEsteem
- Clean Software Alliance
- ESET
- SKD Labs
- Media Partners
- ACN Newswire
- CIOTechOutlook
- Cyber Defense Magazine
- International Business Magazine
- Mid East Information
- Security Middle East Magazine
- World Business Outlook
We are grateful for the enthusiastic participation by speakers, delegates, sponsors, partners, and volunteers, who made AVAR 2023 a great success. We look forward to meeting you again at AVAR 2024 in Chennai, India.
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