Ray Kafity, VP-META at Halcyon explains that the company will showcase its advanced Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real-Time Recovery Platform at Black Hat MEA 2024, empowering Saudi enterprises with multi-layered cybersecurity solutions aligned with Vision 2030 and resilient digital transformation.
How would you describe Halcyon’s main objectives for participating in Black Hat MEA this year, and what unique value does the event bring to Halcyon’s mission in the Middle East?
Halcyon’s participation in Black Hat MEA 2024 reflects our commitment to enhancing cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. We are exhibiting our Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real Time Recovery Platform, featuring the new Data Exfiltration Prevention (DXP) module and Halcyon Linux support, to help organizations defend against evolving ransomware threats. This event aligns with Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, supporting digital transformation with robust security solutions. Black Hat MEA 2024 provides an opportunity for us to engage with regional cybersecurity leaders, demonstrate robust and resilient cybersecurity solutions & applications, and strengthen partnerships, ensuring businesses in key sectors like finance and energy remain secure in an increasingly complex Cyber threats landscape and increasing sophisticated ransomware attacks.
What will be the highlight of Halcyon in the Black Hat MEA this year?
The highlight of Halcyon’s participation in Black Hat MEA 2024 will be the introduction of our one-of-its-kind Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real Time Recovery Platform, designed to combat the evolving and the highly sophisticated threat of ransomware attacks. This platform offers comprehensive protection by detecting, blocking, and preventing ransomware in the pre-execution, during execution and after-execution phases and provides real-time data & business recovery capabilities, ensuring businesses remain secure and operational against even the most sophisticated ransomware attacks.
In addition to showcasing our solutions, Halcyon will have a keynote presentation by our expert Sameh Y. Sabry, Vice President of Solution Architecture, META, Halcyon. In this presentation, he will delve into the critical challenges and advancements in ransomware defense and spotlight the increasing importance of proactive security measures in the face of rising cyber threats from ransomware attacks.
Can you highlight specific cybersecurity challenges those Saudi Arabian enterprises face, and how is Halcyon’s anti-ransomware solution tailored to address these concerns?
Saudi Arabian enterprises face significant cybersecurity challenges, with ransomware attacks targeting critical sectors like healthcare, finance, government, education and energy. According to one report, Saudi organizations are heavily impacted, while the IBM report reveals that data breaches cost businesses over $5 million per cyber incident. .
Halcyon’s Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real Time Recovery Platform directly addresses these concerns by offering real-time ransomware threat detection, protection and data exfiltration prevention, protecting against both traditional ransomware data encrypting tools and modern & advanced data theft & exfiltration tactics. Halcyon’s solution minimizes operational disruptions and enhances business operational efficiencies and resiliency reduces breach costs, helping Saudi organizations safeguard their sensitive data and ensure resiliency against evolving cyber threats.
What do you see as the primary trends in the ransomware landscape affecting the Saudi Arabian market, and how has Halcyon’s technology evolved to stay ahead of these trends?
The primary trend in the ransomware attack landscape affecting the Saudi Arabian market is double, triple and quadruple extortion campaigns. In these attacks, cybercriminals not only encrypt an organization’s data but also steal it, threatening to release or sell sensitive information unless a ransom is paid. Furthermore, ransomware actors and ransomware as a service group are resorting to further exploit the exfiltrated data with specific extortion techniques and campaigns aimed directly at the specific data owner. This evolution in tactics has significantly increased the financial and reputational risks and damages for businesses.
Halcyon’s technology has evolved to stay ahead of this trend by integrating data exfiltration prevention into our Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real Time Recovery Platform. This feature detects, and blocks attempt to steal data in real-time, providing an additional layer of defence against double extortion and minimizing the impact on Saudi organizations.
How does Halcyon’s anti-ransomware solution stand out from other cybersecurity offerings in the market? Could you explain the unique aspects or ‘USP’ of Halcyon’s Technology?
Halcyon’s Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real Time Recovery Platform stands out by offering comprehensive protection before, during, and after an attack. Our unique approach includes prevention through advanced behavioral analysis, Encryption Key Interception to stop data encryption, and Data Exfiltration Prevention (DXP) to block the theft of sensitive information. These features protect organizations from double, triple and quadruple extortion attempts & campaigns , where both encryption, data theft and specific data owner exploitation are used to extort businesses & data owners. Halcyon’s multi-layered defense ensures proactive protection and real-time threat mitigation, providing a complete solution that secures critical data and minimizes the impact of ransomware attacks.
What are the main security priorities for Saudi enterprises, and how does Halcyon’s approach specifically align with these concerns, particularly in sectors like finance, oil and gas, and government?
Cybersecurity is a top priority for Saudi enterprises, with 62% of CEOs and board members identifying cyber risk as an area where they have increased focus, according to a Heidrick & Struggles survey. Ransomware incidents, which account for nearly 40% of cybersecurity engagements, are particularly concerning in high-stakes sectors like finance, oil and gas, and government.
Halcyon’s Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real Time Recovery platform aligns directly with these concerns by providing multi-layered ransomware protection. Our solution, combined with Endpoint & Extended Detection and Response (EDR/XDR) tools, ensures that Saudi organizations can become ransomware-proof, effectively protecting critical infrastructure and sensitive data from evolving cyber threats from ransomware attacks.
How does Halcyon approach integration with existing cybersecurity frameworks within Saudi enterprises, and what support do you offer to ensure seamless deployment of your anti-ransomware solutions?
Halcyon approaches integration with existing cybersecurity frameworks within Saudi enterprises by ensuring seamless compatibility with other security solutions. We understand that most organizations already have established defenses, which is why our Ransomware Prevention, Protection & Real Time Recovery Platform is designed to complement and enhance these systems. By working in tandem with other Endpoint & Extended Detection and Response (EDR/XDR) tools, firewalls, and SIEM solutions, we ensure that ransomware threats are detected and neutralized without disrupting existing operations.
Additionally, Halcyon offers dedicated support during deployment, including customized integration, training, and 24/7 assistance to ensure smooth implementation and optimal performance of our solution.
