Honeywell and the UAE’s Ministry of Cybersecurity signed an MoU to develop the cybersecurity field in the region
The organisations will focus on legislative and regulatory solutions, deterrence, prevention and responses to cyberattacks for related cyber fields, awareness-building and educational programmes, along with scientific and technological research and development.
The MoU was signed at the GITEX global technology show in Dubai by Mohammed Mohaisen, president and CEO of Honeywell Middle East and North Africa, and HE Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity for the UAE government.
In May 2023, Honeywell announced the release of Honeywell Forge Cybersecurity+ | Cyber Insights, which is designed to assist customers in improving the availability, reliability and safety of their industrial control systems and operations. Cyber Insights is designed to integrate information from multiple OT data sources to provide customers with actionable insights into identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threats, which assist with compliance strategy management and reduction of overall cybersecurity risks.
“The UAE is a leader in the fight against cybercrime. We remain committed to investing in the most advanced technologies and services available to help safeguard the country’s infrastructure from the growing range and capabilities of cyber-threats that exist today,” Al Kuwaiti said.
“This MoU with Honeywell underscores this commitment, and we look forward to exploring new opportunities and synergies to advance our cybersecurity capabilities and competencies, and to extend our culture of cybersecurity awareness and excellence across sectors.”
Cyberattacks focused on OT systems can be a significant source of unplanned downtime, with estimates that such unplanned downtime represents over a trillion dollars in lost revenue for the industrial and critical infrastructure sector.
“For more than two decades, Honeywell has built its position as one of the world’s leading providers of enterprise-wide OT cybersecurity solutions, with a portfolio across the entire OT cybersecurity lifecycle including real-time monitoring and threat detection, penetration testing and analysis and training solutions for virtually any sector,” added Mohaisen.
“We are honoured to sign this MoU with the UAE Ministry of Cybersecurity, which reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the cybersecurity resilience and readiness of the UAE. As a trusted partner of the UAE for more than 60 years, Honeywell is proud to leverage its global experience and local capabilities to support the country’s role as a leading hub for digital innovation and transformation.”