INTERVIEW
SAFEGUARDING THE DIGITAL REALM Emad Fahmy, Systems Engineering Manager, Middle East, NETSCOUT shares insights about their innovative solutions, strategic collaborations, and the evolving trends shaping the cybersecurity and network assurance landscape.
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hat unique challenges do businesses face concerning network security and how is NETSCOUT positioned to address these challenges? The Middle East faces a cybersecurity crisis, with data breaches costing businesses an astounding $8 million on average, a 155.9% increase over a decade and a 15% surge in just three years, according to IBM Security’s Data Breach Report. This underscores the urgent need for robust network security solutions. NETSCOUT understands this challenge. With security embedded in its DNA, the company offers a comprehensive suite of products and services that go beyond basic defenses. The company’s real-time network visibility, advanced threat detection, and performance optimisation tools empower organisations to safeguard sensitive data, prioritise service delivery, and streamline security operations.
analytics and response platforms capable of protecting future digital infrastructures with unparalleled scale and consistency.
What notable trends have you observed in the cybersecurity and network assurance landscape across the regions? 2023 witnessed a surge in groundbreaking technologies, but only a select few revolutionised security. AI-powered automation, for instance, slashed data breach lifecycles in Middle Eastern firms by a staggering 134 days, with breaches now taking an average of 259 days compared to a hefty 393 days for those lagging behind. Meanwhile, robust data centres have become essential fortresses, safeguarding sensitive information as data volumes explode. And finally, cloud computing’s unstoppable ascent continues, fueled by enhanced threat
How does NETSCOUT collaborate with its clients to tailor solutions that align with their specific business objectives and security requirements? While the cybersecurity landscape is flooded with products addressing diverse attack surfaces and use cases, businesses are increasingly seeking consolidation opportunities. However, true consolidation goes beyond simply buying more from a single vendor or dumping everything into a central data lake. Instead, the focus is shifting towards holistic workflows, unified agents, and cross-product synergies that unlock greater value. Infinistream Next Generation (ISNG),
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CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST | ISSUE 8 / 2023
NETSCOUT is known for its advanced network assurance solutions. Can you share some recent innovations or updates in NETSCOUT’s offerings? We at NETSCOUT believe network visibility is foundational to cybersecurity because you can’t protect yourself from what you can’t see. The company’s “Visibility Without Borders” solutions, powered by their marketleading, patented technology, deliver a comprehensive network detection and response (NDR) platform called Omnis Cyber Intelligence. This scalable DPI-based solution grants you the industry’s most complete attack surface observability, providing continuous intelligence and real-time detection of all network activity. With Omnis, you can stop attackers in their tracks before they inflict damage.
is NETSCOUT’s leading appliance technology, which brings borderless enterprise visibility for managing business services across data centres, cloud, virtual environments, and colocation setups. ISNG consolidates multiple specialised analytics tools into a single unified platform, while simultaneously feeding a standardised set of metadata to various analytics stacks for comprehensive insights across service assurance, application performance management, cybersecurity, and business intelligence. This centralised approach leverages NETSCOUT’s renowned smart data technology, offering agentless and non-intrusive monitoring for unparalleled efficiency. What is your vision for the future of NETSCOUT’s role in ensuring cybersecurity and network assurance, considering the evolving technological landscape and security threats? In the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, one truth remains absolute: you can’t fight what you can’t see. Comprehensive, packet-level network visibility is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for effective threat combat. Perimeter-based defenses alone are inadequate, as stealthy attackers like phishing campaigns can bypass them with a single click. The answer lies in pervasive, packetlevel network visibility like NETSCOUT’s Omnis CyberStream sensors, known for their scalability and versatility, can be deployed across your entire network landscape, granting you deep insights into both north-south and east-west traffic.