Gulf News Cyber Forum 2025: Risks rise as opportunities expand, say cyberscurity experts

As artificial intelligence accelerates, geopolitical tensions intensify, and digital transformation sweeps across economies, cybersecurity leaders warn that the threat landscape is entering its most complex phase yet. Speaking at a high-level session at the Gulf News Cyber Forum 2025 at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa on Tuesday, experts highlighted that while the risks are multiplying, so too are the opportunities for nations and organisations to rethink resilience and harness technological advancement.

Moderating the session, Anoop Kumar, Head of Information Security & GRC at Gulf News, noted that cyber teams today operate in a world where “disruption is constant, interconnected, and increasingly automated.” He urged organisations to adopt strategies that keep pace with rapid change.

For financial institutions, the challenge is as vast as it is urgent. Sagar Sethi, Senior Vice President & Head of Information Security Risk Governance & International Security at First Abu Dhabi Bank, emphasised that AI is reshaping both defence and attack capabilities. “AI expands the threat surface dramatically, but it also gives us unprecedented power to detect, respond, and predict,” he said. “The organisations that succeed will be the ones that build governance and trust into every layer of their AI ecosystem.”

From the perspective of infrastructure, resilience must evolve as rapidly as the threat landscape. Vijay Velayutham, Principal Information Security Officer at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in the UAE, put it bluntly: “In critical sectors, a single AI-driven error can cascade into a national crisis. Our mission now is to make sure machines enhance judgment and not replace it, by embedding responsibility and oversight into every deployment.”

For the region’s digital-first banks, speed and innovation come with equal parts risk. Hussain Al Khalsan, Chief Information Security Officer at Zand, highlighted that emerging technologies amplify existing weaknesses. “If a flawed process is automated with AI, the impact isn’t incremental; it’s exponential,” he said. “Resilience now depends on understanding where AI accelerates risk and where it truly adds value.”

Beyond technology, legal and ethical responsibilities are tightening. Shabnam Karim, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, cautioned that organisations must prepare for a far more demanding regulatory climate. “The age of vague compliance is over,” she said. “Regulators want proof - proof of how your models think, proof of how your data is protected, and proof that you can stand behind every automated decision.”

As the digital world becomes more interconnected, the panel agreed that collaboration between sectors, regulators, and nations will define the next era of cybersecurity. Those prepared to embrace innovation while strengthening governance will not only withstand disruption but thrive in a future shaped by intelligence, speed, and global interdependence.