< PreviousEaton power systems, a standard rack and cooling unit, and integrated moni- toring system, designed to save installa- tion time, minimise TCO and enhance network reliability. Data centre solutions vendors are in- creasingly incorporating IoT into their data centre designs. APC by Schneider Elec- tric has incorporated data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) as a solution with Struxure- Ware, giving IT manag- ers the ability to monitor their data centres, using dashboards and reports to manage their team, engage in planning, and communicate about the data centre performance across the en- tire company. Solutions such as the new EcoS- truxure IT Expert, delivered in as-a- service model, enables enterprises to monitor their IT assets on one cen- tralised dashboard, regardless of their size or location, and at an affordable fee. This is done through connected sensors embedded in UPS, rack PDUs or installed within and around the IT $6.7B Edge computing market by 2022 comes ready with in-built security sys- tems, cooling systems as well as flood and fire protection. INTEGRATED MODULES Regardless of their size, modular data centres are by essence self-sustainable, Pouchucq observes. This means that the solution must include all the necessary power, cooling, security, and associated management tools (DCIM) required to run safely the applications supported. The Schneider Electric SmartBun- ker micro data centre solution for in- stance, comes with pre-integrated self- contained DX cooling module, power distribution panel, rack power distri- bution unit (rPDU), UPS, and physical security and environmental monitor- ing features. The plug-n-play approach speeds up deployment, which is para- mount in such situations. IT managers are also in need of low- cost micro-data centres which can be stored in both office environments and indoor manufacturing sites with fully- contained environmental solutions, Re- fas observes. Eaton has designed a micro data centre that ships fully configured with Schneider Electric Hub on Wheels showcases EcoStruxure architecture and platform that delivers IoT- enabled use cases. infrastructure. All this data is constant- ly fed back to customers’ dashboard, bringing IoT to edge platforms. Eaton Connected, on the other hand, is a pre-configured data centre design that connects UPS modules, switchgear, static switches, controls and any mon- itoring or human-machine in- terface components, form- ing a single continuous system. These integrated solutions combine sev- eral products to support shorter lead times, faster deployment and reduced risk during design and imple- mentation, says Refas. “And since they’re pre-configured setups that are each tested as a system before deploy- ment, customers are getting consistent, repeatable designs that can be mirrored across multi-phase and multi-location sites,” he adds. More than half of the world’s popu- lation lives within about 120 miles of the coast. Microsoft is experimenting with pre-built underwater data centres sunk in bodies of water near coastal cit- ies, meaning data would have a short // INSIGHT / MODULAR DATA CENTRES // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 30 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / MARCH 2019 /The aim is not to replace the traditional design and build projects, rather complement them and address new and different segments of the market.” KARIM REFAS, REGIONAL CHANNEL MANAGER AT EATON. distance to travel to reach coastal com- munities. Underwater data centres could also serve as anchor tenants for marine renewable energy such as offshore wind farms or banks of tidal turbines. INTERNET OF THINGS IoT is one of the biggest drivers of edge comput- ing and edge data centres. IoT extensively relies on connected sensors. These sensors generate a constant flow of data. Pushing this influx directly to an instance running in the cloud can prove both costly and troublesome (network- ing cost, bandwidth issues, etc.), Pou- chucq observes. Likewise, if a sensor signals an alert, you want the shortest reaction time pos- sible. On the contrary, if you are looking to store content-rich data (videos) or benefit from Big Data insights, you will need a vast amount of compute and stor- age only cloud computing can provide. “Therefore, we see both cloud and edge computing completely intricated, each complementary to the other,” Pou- chucq says. Modular data centres are for compa- nies that are not moving everything to public clouds, Refas says. “It is another version of a platform-as-a-service to host private clouds, but its cost could be significantly lower than a traditional design & build architecture in the short-term. It can also be eligible for more flexible financing options such as leasing for those com- panies business models that do not allow for high investments in working capital upfront,” he adds. Companies can adopt MDC because of various business needs. It can be a solution for disaster recovery, temporary need for extended 35% CAGR growth in edge computing resources or a permanent solution, Re- fas explains. “The trend, however, tends not to replace the traditional design and build projects, rather complement them and address new and different segment of the market,” he adds. A shift to a more distributed infra- structure offers tremendous potential benefits in deploying edge solutions and managing data. Modular edge data cen- tre infrastructure solutions help sim- plify and localise the delivery of applica- tions, data sets, and services. This means that these data centres are flexible, and specifically caters to high-performance or latency-sensitive applications. Microsoft is experimenting with pre-built underwater data centres sunk in bodies of water near coastal cities. // INSIGHT / MODULAR DATA CENTRES // MARCH 2019 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 31// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /INCREASED BUSINESS DEMANDS HERALD A SHIFT IN COMPUTING FROM THE CORE TO THE EDGE OF THE NETWORK ON THE EDGE // ANALYSIS / EDGE DATA CENTRE // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 32 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / MARCH 2019 /The increas- ing use of cloud computing presents a strong case for the de- ployment of edge data centres.” SHIBU VAHID, HEAD OF TECHNI- CAL OPERATIONS, R&M MIDDLE EAST, TURKEY AND AFRICA he data centre has long been the central hub of computing and con- nectivity. However, due to technological developments and in- creased business de- mands, a shift is now happening which sees computing move from the core to the edge of the network. This, in turn, is having an impact on the location and the size of future data centre facilities, and there’s likely to be a proliferation of smaller data centres built closer to cities and business parks, or edge computing. Indeed, edge computing currently sits at the peak of Gartner’s hype cycle, alongside other hot technology trends such as IoT and machine learning. Ac- cording to Futurum Research’s ‘Edge Computing Index: From Edge to En- terprise’, nearly three quarters (72%) of organisations have already implemented an edge computing strategy, or are in the process of doing so, and 93% of those that aren’t intend to invest in the technology over the next year. There are two key drivers for edge data centres: cloud and IoT. The increasing use of cloud comput- ing presents a strong case for the deploy- ment of edge data centres, says Shibu Va- hid, head of technical operations, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa. “While the cloud can compile, ana- lyse and store data that is not critically time-bound, in cases where there is zero tolerance for latency and a need for un- conditional availability, edge compute becomes essential. This latency, hyper- interactivity and decentralised intelli- gence will play a role in numerous other applications in the digitalised world. These include industrial manufacture, industrial Ethernet and robotics, 5G and video communication, smart grids, the internet of things (IoT) as well as block- chain, AI and AR applications. “Edge computing can support all these tasks by shortening the path between the acquisition, collection, analysis and feedback of intelligence to the networks,” Vahid adds. IoT devices are producing a stagger- ing amount of data. According to figures provided by Cisco last year, five quintil- lion bytes of data is produced every day and the IoT will count 30 billion con- nected devices by 2020. Undoubtedly, these developments are having an enor- mous impact on data centres. “There is mounting pressure to han- dle extreme volumes of data within switch-to-switch backbone links to the core and to the storage area network (SAN). To cope with this flood of data, data centres are rapidly migrating to speeds of 100 Gb/s and beyond and re- quire cabling solutions that meet the need for increased transmission speeds. In addition, the sheer number of equip- ment and links continues to increase, and data centres will be required to deploy solutions that support ultra-high densi- ties of equipment and connections,” says Narender Vasandani, RCDD, technical manager Middle East & India at Siemon. FIBRE Edge computing requires a different physical infrastructure altogether. Most of these edge data centres take the form of standardised, pre-assembled, and con- tainerised facilities. “Compared to traditional data cen- tres that require custom engineering and extensive onsite work, these new stand- ardised data centres can be set up much faster and at reduced upfront costs. The modularity aspect leads to additional savings since these types of data centres can be scaled to meet actual data centre loads, meaning that capacity can easily be increased or reduced to meet actual de- mand,” says Vasandani. “The modular nature, combined with current power and cooling distribution technologies, can result in significant total cost of ownership (TCO) savings when compared to a traditional data cen- tre facility,” he adds. The edge data centre connects us- ers, devices and/or machines and “bring T masses of data from the edge inward” to the core within the required latency, says Ehab Kanary, vice president of enterprise, Middle East and Africa, CommScope. “Connectivity resiliency in both di- rections is important. With the expecta- tion of explosive data growth at the edge, it’s recommended to provision enough connectivity and bandwidth for future proofing,” Kanary adds. For example, part of the flagship CommScope SYSTIMAX portfolio is // ANALYSIS / EDGE DATA CENTRE // MARCH 2019 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 33// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /designated OM5 by the ISO/IEC. It en- hances the ability of short-wavelength division multiplexing to provide at least four-fold increases in usable bandwidth while maintaining backward compatibil- ity with legacy multimode fibre. There’s expected to be a wide-scale increase in fibre optic cabling roll outs and the installation of decentralised mi- cro data centres as being part and par- cel of the necessary infrastructure for future-ready networks. “The edge trend will lead to a para- digm shift in the way we design, provide and monitor networks as specific securi- ty, connectivity and bandwidth require- ments will have to be taken into consid- eration. Infrastructures will have to be designed with the ability to spread com- puting power on a wide scale and sup- port software-defined WAN (SD-WAN). This means that organisations will have to adapt their data centre strategies and even their business models,” says Kanary. While businesses want the benefits that edge data centres offer, they also don’t want to think about planning data centres in the old way. This means the installation and operation of cabling in- frastructure at the edge will have to be made as simple as possible with the ‘plug & play’ principle applied to connectivity and IT. Micro data centres will thus require the ability to be connected directly to fibre optic or broadband networks eve- rywhere, and will require integrated cooling, sound insulation, UPS, access control, and remote monitoring, Vahid observes. “Given the likely locations for their deployment, (micro-data cen- tres) would have to be climate-resistant, closed and shielded and designed for maximum density and compactness. Cabinets and containers should be able to be linked and stacked to be able to scale the infrastructure as required. And finally, the system should be Automated Infrastructure Management (AIM)-ena- bled so that monitoring and documenta- tion of cabling and IT assets can be cen- tralised,” Vahid explains. Pre-terminated fibre optic cabling solutions will be key in supporting the rapid deployment of edge data centre fa- cilities. This is because pre-terminated solutions can reduce installation time by up to 90% compared to individual field- terminated fibre connections, reducing network disruptions at the same time. In Edge data centres will require high-density cabling solutions that offer higher port density.” NARENDER VASANDANI, RCDD, TECHNICAL MANAGER MIDDLE EAST & INDIA AT SIEMON addition, these factory-terminated and tested solutions provide guaranteed per- formance levels. “Smaller in size, edge data centres will require high-density cabling solu- tions that offer superior port density, whilst access to fibre ports and cable management remain easy to handle,” Vasandani observes. “With application speeds in the // ANALYSIS / EDGE DATA CENTRE // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 34 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / MARCH 2019 /data centre gradually moving from 10 to 40/100Gb/s and with multimode and singlemode applications based on 8 opti- cal fibres, Base 8 plug-and-play fibre sys- tems will be required. Base-8 provides a seamless transition from duplex 10 Gb/s to current and future 8-fibre applications to 400 Gb,” he adds. Siemon’s V-Built pre-configured cabinets are especially well-suited for edge facilities as they support a fast de- ployment process, says Vasandani. These cabinets are preloaded with Siemon components, including fibre and copper connectivity, pre-terminated cable as- semblies, PDUs, cable management and accessories, are assembled and packaged at regional Siemon manufacturing facili- ties and delivered to the site ready to im- mediately connect the cabling and install active equipment. Building an edge data centre is not an exercise to be undertaken lightly and re- quires significant planning and prepara- tion, says CommScope’s Kanary. One of these considerations is location. When it comes to geographical area and the site’s physical characteristics, location is everything, says Kanary. It’s worth considering, for example, whether the data centre is located close enough to a customer to ensure it delivers minimal latency and maximum experience. It’s important too to bear in mind the impact that relevant regional data privacy regu- lations will have on an organisation, and to ensure that each site is compliant. “There are several factors to bear in mind with regard to the physical build- ing, such as whether there is sufficient square footage for the number of racks and cabinets required, and whether space will allow for future expansion. The building’s existing infrastructure will require scrutiny; if it’s not found to be fit for purpose, the entire building may need to be retrofitted,” Kanary explains. The other one is power supply and consumption; the idea of power planning for a data centre may appear obvious, but edge data centres have very specific needs. Power redundancy, for instance, will tend to be a given for traditional data centres. However, at the edge, power can often be too expensive or even, in some cases, unavailable. “Ideally, power should enter a fa- cility via a number of different points. Providers should, therefore, consider whether that facility could be serviced by more than utility grid. At the same time, though, it’s important to plan for the worst. Should a power outage oc- cur, back-up generators should be able to support the data centre for at least 48 hours,” says Kanary. While heating, ventilation and air- conditioning (HVAC) are essential to the smooth running of a data centre, they are also one of the biggest consumers of power; half of all a data centre’s power is currently used on HVAC. It’s important therefore that service providers find a way of ensuring greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Free-cooling or hot-aisle/cold-aisle designs, for example, are simple, cost-ef- fective means of controlling the tempera- ture within a facility, while temperature sensors on racks are an efficient means of monitoring it, Kanary explains. FUTURE In 2019, data centre operators will use augmenting intelligence in autonomous systems to make use of expanded peer to peer communications at the edge, which is new to 5G networks. Fibre optic infra- structure will provide reliable low-cost transmission capacity for edge data cen- tres while placing edge data centres close to the IoT sensors and actuators will re- duce transmission latency and transmis- sion costs, says Kanary. “It is essential to ensure that any data centre is ready to deal with whatever the future may hold. After all, with the first commercial rollouts of 5G expected this year and all that this entails, the volume of data due to be processed at the edge is expected to be huge. “Service providers looking to em- brace the cloud and virtualisations should prepare for any eventuality, and The edge trend will lead to a paradigm shift in the way we design and monitor networks.” EHAB KANARY, VICE PRESIDENT OF ENTERPRISE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA, COMMSCOPE design their physical layer infrastructure to accommodate a number of upgrades over its first three to five years,” says CommScope’s Kanary. Edge computing is not necessarily a new concept, but several technology trends have come together to enable or- ganisations to turn data into actionable intelligence closer to where it is pro- duced and/or needed. This will be in- creasingly crucial in a world where speed and analytics are critical. // ANALYSIS / EDGE DATA CENTRE // MARCH 2019 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 35// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /The Synology RS1619xs+ is a scalable 1U rackmount NAS designed with upgradable memory and M.2 SSD cache configuration. Equipped with a PCIe 3.0 slot, The RS1619xs+ supports installing a 10GbE/25GbE NIC for fast data transmission. Built-in M.2 2280 SSD cache slots further benefit IO-intensive tasks, such as virtu- alisation or mail server deployment. Synology iSCSI storage supports most virtualisation solutions including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xen Server, and OpenStack Cinder. Synology RS1619xs+ NAS //Product_Watch Want to showcase your latest product here? If you have any new innovative products, please e-mail: david.ndichu@itp.com Hot product Avaya J100-Series IP Phones The Avaya J100-Series repre- sent Avaya’s latest genera- tion of IP Phones optimised for use on Avaya and selected non-Avaya call servers. The J100-Series use a refreshed industrial design and com- mon software providing a consistent installation and user experience. The J100-Series IP Phones ship with “Avaya J100-Series SIP” software and are ideal for workers that need only the most frequently used features. HP ProBook 445 G6 The ProBook 445 G6 is a Windows 10 laptop from HP powered by AMD Ryzen quad-core processors. It fea- tures slim chassis and a natural silver finish while near borderless displays provide an optimal viewing experience. A 180° hinge allows users to lay the device flat on the table. It comes with a range of security fea- tures including the HP BIOSphere Gen4 firmware ecosystem that automates the BIOS protection. HP Fast Charge allows for 90% charge in 90 minutes. WD Purple 12TB HDD The WD Purple 12TB HDD is a surveillance-class drive with purpose-built artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. It supports real-time detec- tion of AI-triggered events at the point of capture with continuous background learning in emerging DVR and NVR sys- tems with AI capabilities. It also comes with support for up to 64 cameras and deep learning technology. The WD Purple drive is designed for both DVR and NVR security systems. 1,523 MB/s sequential reading Has capacity of up to 16 drives Quad-core up to 2.7GHz CPU 8GB DDR4 UDIMM, up to 64GB ONES TO WATCH The new products are available immediately // PRODUCT WATCH / // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 36 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / MARCH 2019 /The Ruckus R730 indoor access point is based on the lat- est Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ax, and bridges the performance gap from ‘gigabit’ Wi-Fi to ‘multi-gigabit’ Wi-Fi as wireless demand explodes. The Ruckus R730 is Ruckus’ highest capacity dual-band, dual-concurrent 802.11ax AP that sup- ports 12 spatial streams (8x8:8 in 5GHz, 4x4:4 in 2.4GHz). With OFDMA and MU-MIMO capabilities, it can manage more than a thousand client connections while 5 Gbps multi-gigabit Ethernet ports enhance backhaul capacity. Ruckus R730 indoor access point (AP) 802.11ax What is the product? AXIS Q8742-E Network Camera is a positioning cam- era that combines visual and thermal video streams in a single PTZ camera to border surveillance and other ap- plications with similar require- ments. The thermal camera boasts 640x480 resolution for detection and verification around-the-clock and in all weather and light conditions. The light-sensitive visual camera comes in in HDTV 1080p with integrated 30x optical zoom for identification purposes. Who needs the product? With AXIS Q8742-E Zoom, you get 3x thermal zoom al- lowing you to detect a human as far as 3 km (3342 yards), according to Johnson’s (standard) criteria. The long- distance detection is useful for mission critical usage, such as detecting vehicles or intruders from far. The AXIS Q8742-E lets opera- tors choose between really slow or super-fast pan (from 0.05 to 120 degrees per second) and tilt movement (from 0.05 to 65 degrees per second), enabling smooth and jerk-free panoramic viewing when they need it and can respond quickly to events. The camera can be column-mounted, on poles or walls for a 360° panoramic view and a ground-to-sky view from -90° to +45°. What benefits does it offer targeted customers? AXIS Q8742-E is designed as a cost-effective solution. Us- ers only require one camera and one IP address to benefit from long-distance thermal detection, visual identification and PTZ capabilities, which translates to lower purchase, installation and operational costs. In addition, Axis Zip- stream technology reduces storage and bandwidth needs with up to 50% or more while ensuring that important details are captured in full image quality. Its slim design and many available accesso- ries let users install it virtually anywhere. It has an SFP slot, so it supports cost-effective, long-distance fibre-optic con- nection. And maintenance is made simple by a remote- control cleaning system that features long-life wipers. A 22 meter (72 feet) long, heavy- duty power cable is available as optional accessory. SELLING POWER Narender Vasandani, technical manager Middle East and India at Siemon SELL IT TO ME AXIS Q8742-E network camera What is the product? Siemon has launched an active cold aisle containment solution, featuring roof panels that open automatically during an alarm event to facilitate access to sprinkler systems and other fire suppression sys- tems. Compatible with all Siemon data centre cabinets deployed in a pod configuration, the active cold aisle containment solution improves efficiency and expands the capacity of a data centre without the need for supplemental cooling while leveraging existing fire suppression systems. Why is it important? Active aisle containment panels form a horizontal roof across the cold aisle and when used in conjunction with self-closing or manual doors that close off the end of the aisle, the cold air is contained in the aisle to provide targeted cooling to active equipment. Electromagnets hold the active roof panels in place during normal operation and in the event of an alarm, release the panels allowing them to swing open. Why is it different? Customers can leverage their existing fire suppression systems rather than having to bring it down into the cold aisle, enabling them to achieve compliance with codes such as NFPA 75 standards for fire protection of information technology equipment. // PRODUCT WATCH / // MARCH 2019 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 37// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /SANS Institute kicked off its 2019 Middle East cybersecurity training program in Dubai this January with three of its best-performing cybersecurity classes on offer. The first course was the Enter- prise Threat and Vulnerability As- sessment, taught by one of SANS’ principal instructors, Tim Medin. The course, SEC460, covers threat management, introduces the core components of comprehensive vulnerability assessment, deliv- ered through hands-on instruc- tion model. The second one was Cloud Security Architecture and Operations delivered by senior instructor and course author Dave Shackleford. The course, SEC545, covers cloud security fundamen- tals, critical concepts of cloud policy and governance for secu- rity professionals, technical se- curity principles and controls for all major cloud types, the Cloud Security Alliance framework, fol- lowed by risk assessment for cloud services. The course also looks at cloud architecture and security design, and on the defence side, delves into incident handling, forensics, event management, and application security. The spotlight course in Dubai was SEC599: Defeating Advanced Adversaries - Purple Team Tac- tics & Kill Chain Defences, a new course taught by its author Erik A strong line-up in January training session sets pace for the rest of the year Training SANS kicks off 2019 schedule “We were keen to start the year with a strong training event in Dubai, bringing some of our top instructors and some of the latest and strongest SANS courses available, to the event,” says Ned Bal- tagi, managing director, Middle East & Africa at SANS Institute. According to Gartner, skills chal- lenges continue to plague organisations pursuing digitisation, with digital secu- rity staffing shortages considered a top inhibitor to innovation. Reports state that the worldwide workforce is head- ing for a shortfall of 1.8m cybersecurity workers by 2022 and the industry is not attracting newcomers to fill the gap. The shortfall is exacerbated in the Mid- dle East, where the focus is on bringing in the latest technologies. “SANS training also provides ac- cess to the best instructors and course authors in the industry and we brought three of these to Dubai in January. There are only 80 individuals currently qualified to teach as SANS Certified Instructors globally,” he adds. SANS training courses prepare attendees for GIAC Certifications, designed to not only tests a candidate’s knowledge but also their ability to put that knowledge into practice in the real world. “At the heart of everything we do is the SANS promise that students will be able to use the new skills they have learned as soon as they return to work,” says Baltagi. In common with the rest of the world, organisations in the Middle East are unable to find the ideal balance between new technologies and training people. Course attendees will learn how to effectively mitigate and detect threats using a Kill Chain structure.” Buggenhout. The module focuses on the purple team concept by bringing together red and blue teams in recogni- tion that a prevent-only strategy is not sufficient. By focusing on current attack strategies, attendees learn how to effec- tively mitigate and detect threats using a Kill Chain structure. SANS was keen to start the year strongly, said Batalgi. // TRAINING / SANS INSTITUTE // WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /// 38 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / MARCH 2019 /ETIHAD AIRWAYS, MICROSOFT TEAM UP FOR FIRST IN-HOUSE AI ACADEMY IN THE REGION Etihad Airways has launched an in- house AI Academy, in partnership with Microsoft. As part of the AI Academy, all Etihad employees will be given access to an online training programme and instructor-led classes to drive companywide AI literacy, empowering every employee to deliver more value to the company and its customers. Microsoft specialists will also conduct a series of AI business workshops and technical lab sessions to help identify business challenges that can be optimised with artificial intelligence. Etihad is in the middle of a digital transformation journey aimed at enhancing the capacity and quality of its services to the 20 million passengers it carries each year. “There is a simple reason that we are long-term partners with Microsoft – we think alike,” said, Tony Douglas chief executive officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “Our people make us who we are. By upskilling them to use technology powered by AI, we are future- proofing our organisation. We believe that human interaction augmented by technology delivers an enhanced experience for our guests which will give us a competitive edge” The airline plans to provide structured, flexible education programmes for its employees that will allow them to use AI and other smart technologies to ‘supercharge’ their productivity and innovation. The training seminars will be designed around the roles of attendees within the company. “By building their own unique digital capabilities, Etihad is becoming a fast adopter of best-in-class technology on a company-wide level - and our AI Academy partnership is a key part of that objective. AI is one of the technologies that will transform every industry, and we’re proud to be partners with Etihad in readying and upskilling their world-class team and organisation, which is foundational to achieving their transformation vision and digital outcomes,” says Ishan Anabtawi, chief operating and marketing officer, Microsoft Gulf. There are a number of different impor- tant ways organisations can increase internal cybersecurity knowledge. First is to continuously update the skills and knowledge of existing security person- nel; second is by preparing newcomers such as fresh graduates or more gen- eralist IT staff; and lastly, training all employees in cybersecurity awareness, Baltagi says. Organisations are also still behind in implementing a proper assessment framework that allows them to map cybersecurity job functions to training needs and to, therefore, capitalise on their existing talent, says Baltagi. “This is something SANS can assist with and indeed, we are working with top con- sulting firms in the region to carry out training assessments with industries such as oil and gas,” he adds. An ongoing challenge for organisa- tions is to ensure their trained cyber- security professionals maintain their skills and keep up to date with new technologies and techniques, while also working to attract newcomers and spot those with talent who may not yet have the right skills but have the potential to develop them. “Spanning over 60 courses, SANS provides a complete cyber security curriculum, catering for all levels: from complete newcomers to professionals and experts, as well as programmes for schools and university students too,” Baltagi says. SANS has its busiest ever schedule in the Middle East this year, with 16 events across the region, Baltagi says. This includes training events in several new locations, such as Muscat, Cairo and Kuwait, including the first-ever Middle East Cyber Security Summit in Abu Dhabi in April (4th to 11th). The subsequent event was in Riyadh from 23rd to 28th February, followed by Jed- dah from 23rd to 28th March. By building its own digital capabilities, Etihad is becoming a fast adopter of best-in-class technology. // TRAINING / SANS INSTITUTE // MARCH 2019 / NETWORK MIDDLE EAST / 39// WWW.NETWORKMIDDLEEAST.COM /Next >