Outlook 2022: “Innovate, Develop and Deliver at the Speed of Business”

Amir Kanaan, the Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at Kaspersky, says that the pandemic has orchestrated unprecedented trends within the cybersecurity realm

How was 2021 for the industry and your company?
In 2021, we saw a major increase in online shopping and we noticed that criminals have been exploiting these transactions by targeting the final step of the purchase, the delivery. In recent scams related to shipments via courier services, we see fraudsters contact the victims by phone, email, or SMS with a fake “pending” delivery notice. They request additional payment to complete the order.

These emails often lead victims to fake websites, where they risk not only losing money but also sharing their bank card information. Additionally, cybercriminals have launched websites that appear to offer the opportunity to purchase parcels that could not reach their intended recipients. Of course, the parcels never arrive.

Fraudsters also used WhatsApp to send spam messages with requests for money during the past quarter. Some of these scams involve several schemes, including one that asks users to take a survey about WhatsApp and send messages to several contacts to receive prizes or other rewards.

As Kaspersky and an integral part of the cybersecurity industry, our priority was to advise shoppers to stay vigilant and do not expose themselves to attacks by accessing unsecured, public Wi-Fi, logging onto a fake website, or clicking a link in an e-mail promising exclusive deals. Similarly, since the beginning of the pandemic, we continue to guide companies of all shapes and sizes, online or otherwise to resolve gaps within their cybersecurity infrastructure in every possible way to ensure a robust line of defense against the evolving nature of cyberattacks.

What promises does 2022 bring along?
In order for us to grow, we plan to provide our solutions to industries like banks that are under-secured. Additionally, we plan to diversify our products and reinvent the way we deliver consumer products. The region has tremendous potential in terms of digitization. We are focusing on these areas so we can benefit from them.

The pandemic has orchestrated unprecedented trends within the cybersecurity realm. It forced companies to quickly become digital which also increased their exposure to cyber risk. In 2022, we expect to see organizations uphold cybersecurity on the same pedestal as business resilience, as they both walk hand in hand. Lack of business resilience and a strong line of defense against cyberattacks means putting business continuity in danger.

Therefore, it is imperative to give cybersecurity an equal foothold across the board and in every business function. We at Kaspersky offer next-gen solutions, from National Cybersecurity to Industrial Cybersecurity and everything in between, to help organizations across every industry to combat prevalent threats and the ones that might arise in time. We take great pride in catering to any industry as it gives them the opportunity to focus on their business and innovation, while we take care of keeping them secure.

What will be your key focus areas for 2022?
Looking ahead at 2022, we will continue to solely focus on providing our key clients, partners, and industry stakeholders with the best solutions. With the sudden shift towards remote working because of the pandemic, we were able to swiftly gauge how important it is for employees to be equipped with the best possible cyber training. With this in mind, we will continue to place a great deal of emphasis on providing cybersecurity training for employees. Our training programs deliver knowledge, but – more importantly – changes habits and form new behaviour patterns that align closely with being aware of the dos and don’ts of the cybersecurity world.

What would you like to do differently in 2022, when compared with 2021?
It’s not about doing things differently but at greater speed. Innovate, develop and deliver at the speed of business. This is what our customers seek and need within their organizations to stand out.