The cybersecurity landscape in the United Arab Emirates and the broader Middle East is undergoing significant transformation amid rapid digital advancement and increasingly complex hybrid IT environments. Organizations in the region face evolving cyber threats, including sophisticated ransomware attacks, identity-based intrusions, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and AI-driven cybercrime, according to Sujoy Banerjee, Regional Business Director at ManageEngine.

Banerjee highlighted that modern enterprises are challenged not only by the deployment of security tools but also by the need to maintain comprehensive visibility and resilience across diverse digital assets. These assets span cloud services, on-premises infrastructure, endpoints, user identities, and applications, creating a multifaceted security environment that demands robust management.

A key concern outlined is the shifting security perimeter from traditional network boundaries to digital identities. This includes human users, privileged accounts, machines, and applications operating across hybrid and multi-cloud systems. Banerjee noted that conventional directory-based security approaches are insufficient, as they fail to provide the necessary coverage for unmanaged or distributed environments. Instead, organizations require directory-independent visibility and consistent access governance across their entire technology landscape to effectively mitigate threats.

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly prominent and dual role in cybersecurity. On one hand, attackers leverage AI to accelerate ransomware campaigns, conduct automated reconnaissance, and deploy evasive malware. On the other, defenders employ AI-driven tools to enhance detection and response capabilities. Banerjee pointed out that AI compresses attack timelines by enabling adversaries to quickly identify and exploit vulnerable endpoints while moving laterally within networks.

To counter these threats, a layered security approach is essential. This involves integrating endpoint protection, identity governance frameworks, AI-assisted threat detection, and validated recovery processes to build genuine resilience against attacks.

However, Banerjee cautioned against the unregulated use of AI, emphasizing the need for organizations to understand the data accessed by their AI systems and its subsequent handling. Without proper governance, AI tools can inadvertently create blind spots, diminishing security effectiveness.

At GISEC Global 2026, ManageEngine is focusing on AI-powered automation to support IT and security operations. The company plans to demonstrate its proprietary agentic AI platform, Zia Agents, which integrates across its digital enterprise management suite within a secure, privacy-compliant environment. Zia Agents automate tasks such as access reviews, alert correlation, security investigations, endpoint detection and response (EDR) triage, and device diagnostics. By reducing manual workload, these automated capabilities enable security teams to concentrate on critical decision-making in the face of increasingly complex cyber threats.