Digital Identity & Authentication: a new approach to cybersecurity

The third edition of the Digital Identity & Authentication Summit, held last 12 and 13 September with the partnership of the Cyber Security Council of the United Arab Emirates, concluded with great success. The event offered a detailed overview of the future of this fast-growing market, as confirmed by George Yacoub, Group IT Director at SEHA, who stated: "Digital identity and authentication certainly have broad prospects for exponential growth" .

An event full of testimonials from experts and industry leaders

The summit hosted a diverse selection of speakers, including industry experts, innovative thinkers and representatives from government institutions. HE Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of the Cyber Security Council of the Government of the United Arab Emirates, gave an inspiring keynote speech, focusing on the subtle nuances of biometric technology and the need to combine privacy, security and trust.

The challenges of digital identity and authentication in the Middle Eastern market

Exciting discussions were initiated among expert panels on the opportunities and challenges of digital identity and authentication in different industries in the Middle East. Ethical issues related to privacy, security risks and biometrics were addressed in detail during these discussions. Saqr Al Ali, Director of the Cyber Security Office of the Department of Finance of the Government of Sharjah, commented: "Digital identity will help us feel more secure and have greater confidence in our security systems."

A balance between convenience and safety

Ramesh Ramakrishnan, Chief Information Officer at Zurich Middle East, contributed to the debate on the need to balance convenience with security, saying: "It is important to implement mechanisms that allow us to be seamless and efficient, but without compromising quality and data security, which is our main value." The Digital Identity & Authentication Summit provided a wealth of knowledge, shining a bright light on the increasingly central role digital identity plays in security and safety.