Issue 95: How to get Cybersecurity right
Welcome to Backstory, a weekly newsletter turning global technology shifts into a three-minute read. This week, we’re thinking about cybersecurity – Mary Ames, Director of Strategy
THE BIG TAKE
How to Get Cybersecurity Right
In a rapidly digital transformation country like the UAE, cybersecurity is integral to all future successes. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine is evidence of the importance of sound cybersecurity defense on a national level, but it doesn’t stop there. Ransomware attacks, which have increased in recent years, show that individuals can also be subject to cyber-attacks. The key is a savvy investment strategy in myriad technologies to boost cybersecurity defenses from cloud infrastructure to autonomous systems, quantum computing, and even space technologies.
Looking toward the future: Speaking with The National last week, Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, executive director of the UAE's National Electronic Security Authority, outlined the UAE’s approach to the unprecedented cybersecurity challenges facing the world. “Everybody wants to go towards the digital transformations, but going there without a clear plan, without a standardization and regulated aspects will impact them and will impact national security efforts,” he said. “With these technologies and because they are all connected, and we are connected, all of our data is in the cloud, all of our entities' data are in the cloud, we need to build the culture of cybersecurity.”
Defensive opportunities: Building that culture of cybersecurity can also lead to private sector opportunities. Already there are various cyber insurance outfits in the marketplace and a steady flood of deals between Emirati companies and international businesses (such as this one signed recently with an Israeli firm). With more information moved to the internet every day, cybersecurity is one of the most important (and growing) technology sectors. Developing knowledge economies such as the UAE are on the bleeding edge of developments that will define the subsequent decades of technological innovation. It’s time to get protected.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The Metaverse is not magic, it is a new world created by aliens from planet Earth to give an infinite experience of the existing world.”
– Anjul Jasani, entrepreneur
OUR VIEWS THIS WEEK
Unintended consequences: As China and the United States exchange tariffs amid negotiations over the future of the global economy, smaller countries and many consumers are starting to experience the blowback. Without a swift resolution, the immediate effects could transform into long-term challenges over the future of the internet, data governance, and smart legislation for the digital age. This week we explore how we can construct a better digital future despite these trade tensions.
Robotic colleagues: Can robots and humans get along in our brave new world where robotics is transforming the nature of employment? Many commentators are critical and cautious of advancements in robotics. We explore how robots are a growth opportunity for the global workforce.
SPOTTED ELSEWHERE
Information overload. The Ukraine crisis has consumed us in a sudden and overwhelming flood of information. The ongoing drama is adding another layer to our information overload crisis, and it’s damaging collective mental health in myriad ways, Joseph Dana writes in Gulf News. To understand how we arrived at this moment, we need to consider how the internet changes our relationship to information. The incredible amount of time we spend glued to our smartphones changes how we experience and integrate information. The connection between information overload and mid-life crisis might surprise you.
Digital diets. Speaking of information overload, the Financial Times technology editor has written a compelling piece about digital diets. Hopelessly addicted to her smartphone, she went on an extreme detox, and what she found out about herself and the technology ecosystem is worth the read.