As cyber threats grow faster, smarter, and more invisible, organizations across sectors are rethinking resilience—not as a safety net, but as a core strategy for growth, trust, and innovation. In conversations with leaders across government, finance, education, and industry, a shared truth emerged: Cyber resilience is not a destination. It’s a mindset.
Cybersecurity: The Engine Behind Digital Transformation
For Ali Obaid Ali Almheiri of the Department of Digital Ajman (DDA), securing the future of government services starts with unwavering trust. “Without cybersecurity, there is no digital transformation,” he states. DDA’s journey involved centralizing infrastructure into a secure private cloud and creating the AjmanOne SOC, a 24/7 real-time monitoring center. Through proactive defense and strong collaboration, they aren’t just responding to today’s threats—they are preparing for tomorrow’s, including post-quantum challenges.
Similarly, Filipe Antunes at the UAE’s Department of Finance (DoF) sees cybersecurity not just as IT infrastructure, but as strategic national defense. “We no longer trust by default; every access request is rigorously verified,” he explains, highlighting their Zero Trust adoption, AI-driven threat intelligence, and commitment to post-quantum readiness. Their efforts reflect a regional trend: cybersecurity is no longer a cost of doing business—it is the cost of digital leadership.
Resilience in the Fast Lane: Securing Retail and Industry
In the private sector, speed and resilience go hand in hand. At Americana Fast Food, CISO Vishal Vaghela leads cybersecurity with a sharp focus on operational uptime. “If a user can’t place an order at lunchtime, they move on, often for good. In our world, resilience means restoring service within seconds—not hours,” he shares.
Americana blends global best practices with industry-specific urgency, investing in proactive recovery, internal awareness, and AI-driven threat detection to stay ahead in an unforgiving market. In critical infrastructure, Mohammed Azam emphasizes the need for a tailored, layered approach. As industries like oil & gas and manufacturing integrate smart systems and AI, he highlights the challenge of cyber awareness across a diverse workforce—and the urgency of embedding cybersecurity into every new initiative.
“Cybersecurity is not an afterthought—it’s a core component of every digital initiative we undertake,” Azam asserts. Frameworks like Data Governance and OT Cybersecurity, aligned to UAE and global standards, are helping organizations like his navigate the fast-evolving cyber-physical frontier.
Securing Education’s Digital Future
Education may seem worlds apart from finance or industry, but the cybersecurity stakes are just as high. At Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) Dubai, Rajesh Mathew positions cybersecurity as a catalyst—not a constraint. “Cybersecurity underpins everything—from student services to broader digital ambitions,” he says. Through a model of layered defense, real-time vulnerability management, and dynamic compliance alignment, HCT is building adaptive resilience—not just safeguarding data, but empowering innovation.
Meanwhile, at GEMS Education, Kausar Mukeri stresses the dual responsibility to protect and empower students navigating a digital-first world. “Our students are coding, building, and interacting with AI at an early age. We want them to innovate—but safely,” Kausar shares. GEMS’ proactive cybersecurity culture spans the classroom and the home—blending awareness, open innovation, and digital trust across generations.
Common Threads Across Industries
Across all conversations, clear themes emerged:
✅ Resilience demands proactive, real-time detection and response.
✅ AI is both an enabler and a threat—requiring new governance frameworks.
✅ People remain the frontline—making cybersecurity culture a critical asset.
✅ Compliance is foundational, but adaptability to new risks is key.
✅ Cyber recovery and threat anticipation are no longer “nice-to-haves”—they are strategic pillars.
When it comes to cybersecurity, getting the basics right—assets, people, patches—continues to be the most powerful strategy. As threats scale with AI, cloud, and quantum technologies, these organizations aren’t waiting for the future to arrive. They are building it—with resilience at the core.
�� BOX-OUT IDEAS:
The Resilience Equation (show as a simple visual)
Technology + Culture + Recovery + Compliance + Future-readiness = Cyber Resilience
PULL QUOTES FOR ALL LEADERS
- Vishal Vaghela (Americana Fast Food)
“Resilience in retail isn’t just about defense—it’s about restoring trust faster than customers can walk away.” - Ali Obaid Ali Almheiri (Department of Digital Ajman)
“In a digital government, cybersecurity is not a safeguard—it’s the foundation of citizen trust.” - Filipe Antunes (Department of Finance, UAE)
“We don’t just detect threats. We anticipate them, adapt to them, and grow stronger because of them.” - Rajesh Mathew (Higher Colleges of Technology – Dubai)
“Cybersecurity is no longer a shield behind innovation—it’s the framework that powers it.” - Kausar Mukeri (GEMS Education)
“In a world where digital learning starts young, cyber resilience must start even younger.” - Mohammed Azam (Critical Infrastructure)
“The future of digital transformation belongs to those who embed cybersecurity into every initiative—not after it, but at the start.”
