Fadi Sharaf, Chief Revenue Officer, LinkShadow, discusses bringing unified intelligence to meet the challenges of an evolving threat landscape and showcasing their new CybermeshX platform at GITEX 2025.
What are the upcoming cybersecurity trends in the Middle East?
Thanks for the question, what we are observing in the Middle East is very unique because of the region and what we see in this region is there is a shifting focus from traditional cybersecurity approaches to a more consolidated and collaborative security efforts.
Starting with focus on Identity based security:
“In the Middle East, organisations are prioritizing zero-trust strategies and strong identity management, using advanced technologies to reduce identity theft and tighten access control for both users and devices on cloud and critical OT systems”.
From the Government there is a strong push for Data Privacy and Security:
“Countries are rolling out strict new data privacy laws similar to GDPR, and companies are investing in encryption, regular audits, and compliance systems to protect personal and business information from increasingly frequent breaches”.
Secure Use of AI:
“AI is revolutionising cybersecurity here—companies use it for threat detection and response. At the same time, there’s a rise in AI-driven attacks, so businesses are investing in secure deployment and advocating for stronger rules around AI use”.
Shift to Cloud:
“There’s a major push toward public and sovereign cloud adoption, with security teams focusing on data residency, confidential computing, and SASE solutions to meet stringent local regulations and counter evolving cyber threats”.
How do you, as LinkShadow, ensure your solutions and services evolve to keep pace with the latest cybersecurity trends?
As a security vendor in the Middle East, staying ahead means leveraging advanced technologies like ML and AI, we have built our solutions ground up with keeping the focus on real-time identity threat detection across human and non-human identities like APIs and Tokens,
Data Privacy and Security is the key focus in our DSPM which discovers and secure sensitive data across clouds ensuring regulatory compliance, and AI-based NDR to detect sophisticated and AI-driven cyber threats early. These cutting-edge tools help clients strengthen identity security, protect data privacy, secure AI integration, and enable safe cloud migration amid the region’s dynamic cyber risk landscape.
Can you share your perspective on the ongoing paradigm shift from traditional on-premises infrastructure to cloud computing, and how this transformation is shaping businesses?
The shift from on-premises infrastructure to cloud computing in the Middle East is accelerating rapidly. About 60% of regional companies plan to migrate key operations to the cloud by 2026. This shift is driven by the need for scalable, flexible, and cost-effective IT solutions. Hybrid and multi-cloud strategies are popular, allowing businesses to balance security, compliance, and agility. Local data centres and sovereign clouds address regulatory and data residency requirements. Integration of AI and machine learning on cloud platforms further enhances innovation and operational efficiency, transforming industries and positioning the region as a global digital leader
How is AI changing the whole cybersecurity game?
AI is revolutionising cybersecurity by drastically speeding up threat detection, response, and recovery. It analyses vast data in real-time to identify sophisticated attacks early, including unknown malware and insider threats. AI-driven automation reduces alert fatigue and enhances resource allocation. At the same time, attackers use AI to launch more complex, targeted attacks. This dual-use nature means organisations must invest in advanced AI-powered defences, robust governance frameworks, and continuous training to stay ahead in this evolving arms race. AI is truly redefining cybersecurity from offense to defence.
Can you explain how your organisation integrates artificial intelligence into your products to enhance functionality and deliver greater value to customers?
Our products integrate AI for enhanced threat detection and risk prioritisation, using user behaviour analytics to spot anomalies early. We also include an AI assistant embedded within the product that operates offline, enabling sensitive organisations to leverage AI’s power without risking data privacy or security by connecting to the internet. This approach ensures robust defence capabilities while maintaining the highest standards of data protection and privacy. The combination of these AI-driven features helps organisations respond faster and more accurately to emerging cyber threats.
Image Credit: LinkShadow
