At GISEC 2025, Check Point Software, in collaboration with its partners AWS, WIZ, Radware and TechBridge Distribution MEA, will engage with public and private sector leaders to address emerging risks with intelligent, automated cyber security solutions designed for complex hybrid environments. Through this collaboration, the company is enabling faster response times, stronger security postures and better alignment with local compliance mandates.

According to Check Point Software’s latest threat intelligence report, organizations in the United Arab Emirates have been targeted 1,743 times per week on average over the last six months, highlighting the intensity and sophistication of the region’s cyber threat landscape. As a response, Check Point Software is doubling down on its regional investments by expanding support teams, advancing regional threat research, fostering ecosystem collaboration and delivering tailored solutions to address the unique needs of local organizations.

“The UAE stands at the forefront of digital innovation and that also makes it a prime target for advanced cyberattacks,” said Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East. “Our commitment is not just technological. “Our commitment goes beyond technology. It’s about building trust, strengthening local partnerships and empowering organizations to shift from reactive defence to proactive cyber resilience.”

Check Point Software’s leadership team, including Vasily Dyagilev, Regional Director for the Middle East and RCIS; Ram Narayanan, Country Manager for the Middle East; and Prashant Menon, Channel Leader for the UAE, along with representatives from AWS, Radware, and WIZ, will lead multiple speaking sessions, exploring topics such as AI-driven security automation, multi-cloud resilience, and threat intelligence. These joint discussions aim to shed light on current cybersecurity challenges and showcase integrated solutions.s

The crypto universe has just received another wake-up call. A recent high-profile breach has revealed deep cracks in the security protocols of the industry, reminding us that even the most sophisticated defenses can be compromised. This time, the hackers were able to breach a multisig cold wallet, stealing about $1.5 billion worth of Ethereum tokens.

This attack is especially troubling because it wasn’t a conventional vulnerability that looked for a flaw in the blockchain system or a smart contract. Rather, Security researchers have determined that hackers injected malicious JavaScript directly into Safe’s online infrastructure hosted on AWS. The code was specifically designed to activate only when interacting with Bybit’s contract address, allowing it to remain undetected by regular users.

The JavaScript manipulation modified transaction data behind the scenes:

1. When Bybit signers accessed the interface, the code identified target addresses
2. It silently modified critical transaction parameters including recipient address and operation type
3. It preserved the appearance of legitimacy by displaying the original transaction details to signers

This finding confirms our assessment that this attack sets a new precedent in crypto security by bypassing a multisig cold wallet through sophisticated UI manipulation, further proving that multisigs and cold wallets are not automatically secure when the interface layer can be compromised. Attackers used social engineering and user interface (UI) deception to carefully manipulate human behavior. The presence of human error compromises even the most robust systems.

This event highlights the pressing need for more robust security models, specifically in how transactions are authenticated and how signers verify transactions. The increasing complexity of UI-based attacks necessitates a change of strategy—moving beyond traditional cryptographic security toward comprehensive risk mitigation.

Why This Attack Changes Everything
For years, multisig wallets and cold storage have been considered the gold standard for securing crypto assets. But this breach shattered that assumption, revealing three major weaknesses:

• Multisig is not infallible—if signers can be deceived, multiple approvals do not guarantee safety.
• Cold wallets are not immune—an attacker does not need to breach the storage itself if they can manipulate what a signer sees.
• Supply chain and UI-based attacks are evolving rapidly, making them difficult to detect with traditional security measures.

With this shift in attack strategies, crypto institutions, exchanges and custodians must rethink how they authenticate and verify transactions.

How Crypto Security Must Evolve
Given the increasing complexity of attacks, securing digital assets requires a multi-layered approach that goes beyond cryptographic security. Here’s what needs to change:

• Real-Time Preventive Threat Monitoring
  • A prevention-first approach, securing every step of a transaction
  • Developing advanced anomaly detection systems that can flag unusual transaction patterns.
  • Leveraging AI and behavioral analysis to detect and prevent social engineering attempts.
• Strengthening Human-Centric Security Measures
  • Educating users and institutional signers on UI-based manipulation techniques.
  • Implementing multi-factor verification processes that include independent transaction confirmation.
• Enhancing Transaction Verification Protocols
  • Introducing secondary verification mechanisms to confirm transaction details before execution.
  • Using independent, air-gapped devices for transaction approvals to reduce UI-based risks.
• Adopting a Zero-Trust Security Model
  • Treating every device and signer as potentially compromised.
  • Implementing strict access controls and segregating signing authority across multiple verification channels.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Crypto Security
This attack proves that a prevention-first approach, securing every step of a transaction, is the only way to stop cybercriminals from carrying out similar high-impact attacks in the future. We cannot afford to rely solely on conventional cryptographic models as attacks become increasingly complex. Rather, we need a comprehensive strategy that addresses social engineering tactics, UI manipulation risks and human vulnerabilities. Crypto institutions can better safeguard their assets in an increasingly complex threat landscape by enforcing real-time threat monitoring, educating users and bolstering transaction verification.

Although no security system is entirely foolproof, staying ahead of cybercriminals will require a proactive and flexible approach. The sector needs to move toward multi-layered defense tactics that combine stringent verification procedures, education and technology. As digital assets become more mainstream, security practices must evolve just as rapidly. Trust, transparency and protection should be at the forefront of the crypto ecosystem—because, at the end of the day, security isn’t just about code. It’s about people.

“In an era where cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent, the recent MITRE Evaluations results underscore Check Point’s position as a leading innovator in threat detection and prevention,” said Ofir Israel, Vice President of Threat Prevention at Check Point Software Technologies. “Check Point Infinity XDR/XPR detects and blocks sophisticated, multi-stage cyber-attacks that combine clever data theft, sneaky evasion techniques, and devastating ransomware across the entire enterprise environment.”

The MITRE ATT&CK Evaluations give organisations objective insights into security solutions’ detection capabilities. This vendor-independent testing program assesses how security products detect sophisticated attack behaviours by emulating real-world threat scenarios and techniques. For the 2024 evaluation, MITRE emulated the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by two ransomware groups: CL0P and Lockbit. Our evaluation consisted of 59 distinct substeps across various attack stages, providing a comprehensive assessment of detection capabilities against complex ransomware attack sequences.

The test results showcased several key highlights, including:

1. Unmatched Precision: 98% of detections occurred at the technique level—the highest level of accuracy—demonstrating the solution’s capability to deliver detailed, actionable intelligence against sophisticated attacks
2. 100% Overall Detection Rate: Successfully identified all 57 applicable sub-steps, ensuring comprehensive threat detection to safeguard users from advanced cyber threats
3. Industry-Leading Precision: Technique-level detections deliver unmatched accuracy and actionable intelligence, helping users quickly respond to sophisticated attacks with confidence
4. Perfect Coverage: Achieved flawless performance across all testable attack scenarios, providing users with reliable protection against ransomware, data breaches, and other endpoint threats

“An unexpected benefit of Check Point has been for our security operations. With the Check Point XDR/XPR solution, we have single-pane-of-glass visibility into everything,” said Wes Farris, Director of Information Security, Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. “The threat detection and event correlation has proven to be highly accurate and allowed us to pick up threats we otherwise would not have seen. Now we can correlate security data across all platforms and see it in one place. It’s been instrumental in streamlining our investigation workflows.”

“Threats are continuing to multiply exponentially, and organizations need intelligent solutions that can keep them a step ahead,” said Nataly Kremer, Chief Product Officer at Check Point Software Technologies. “Network security is increasingly strategic. Our suite of AI-powered threat prevention tools – from Check Point Quantum Firewall Software R82 to GenAI Protect and more – are not only bringing world-class innovations but also relentlessly focused on making it operationally simple and resilient.”

Quantum Software R82 delivers over 50 new capabilities for enterprise customers including:

• Industry Leading AI-Powered Threat Prevention to block 99.8% of zero-day threats. It introduces four new AI engines to find hidden relationships and patterns to block over 500K additional attacks per month that protect against sophisticated zero-day phishing and malware campaigns.
• Agile Datacenter Operations to accelerate app development with automated integration of security policy.
• With dramatically simplified firewall virtualization, organizations achieve 3X faster provisioning of virtual systems for multi-tenancy and agile application development benefiting DevOps.
• Operational Simplicity to offer seamless scalability for networks of all sizes, automatically adapting to business growth and traffic spikes. It enables organizations to achieve resilience with built-in load sharing and clustering technology (ElasticXL) while benefiting from 3x faster provisioning and operations for firewall management.
• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) to provide the latest NIST-approved cryptography Kyber (ML-KEM) for quantum-safe encryption, assuring that today’s encrypted data won’t turn into tomorrow’s treasure chest for threat actors.

“Maintaining effective network security requires AI, automation, and the ability to adapt quickly to the latest threats,” said Frank Dickson, IDC Group Vice President of Security and Trust. “Security needs to be strong, but it also needs to enable business innovation at the speed of DevOps. With Check Point’s new collaborative AI-powered solutions and Quantum Firewall Software, Check Point looks to deliver high-performance AI threat prevention while enabling organizations to innovate quickly.”

The new capabilities build upon Check Point’s recently released suite of AI-powered threat prevention innovations:

1. Check Point Infinity AI Copilot is a responsive AI-powered assistant designed to automate and accelerate security management and threat resolution.
2. Check Point GenAI Protect is a pioneering solution for the safe adoption of generative AI in enterprises.
3. Check Point Infinity External Risk Management (ERM) delivers continuous monitoring and real-time threat prevention, augmented by expert-managed services. This protects customers against a wider array of external risks, from credential threat and vulnerability exploitation to phishing attacks and fraud.

“We’ve seen a definite performance increase and operational value with our upgrade to Check Point’s Quantum Firewall Software R82 software release. The new Quantum Firewall software allows us to secure and manage our encrypted traffic more easily than ever,” said Jeff Burgess, Manager of I.T. Enterprise, Aviation Technical Services. “With Check Point, all of our security products are working in sync together to provide a level of security which was previously unattainable.”

Founded in 2010, with over 170 employees worldwide, Cyberint is one of the fastest-growing External Risk Management companies in the market. Recognized as ‘Company of the Year’ in 2023 by Frost & Sullivan in the External Risk Mitigation & Management category. Organizations face critical security challenges every day, including stolen employee credentials, fake websites, and social media impersonation. To prevent these and other challenges from negatively impacting companies, Cyberint specializes in threat intelligence, digital risk protection, and attack surface management, serving a diverse global clientele, including Fortune 500 companies.

“Leaked credentials and fake websites designed for malicious purposes are staggeringly prevalent today, with over 90% of organizations facing these threats. This highlights the urgent need for real-time intelligence and proactive defence strategies, which our technology is able to mitigate in an effective way,” said Yochai Corem, CEO at Cyberint. “We are thrilled to join the Check Point team. Integrating our solutions into the Infinity Platform will enhance our ability to protect organizations. Together, we will offer a more comprehensive security SOC offering that covers both internal and external threats.”

“We are excited to welcome Cyberint to the Check Point organization. Their solution aligns perfectly with our vision of collaborative threat prevention and enhances our SOC capabilities,” stated Sharon Schusheim, Chief Services Officer at Check Point Software Technologies. “We will be able to turn identified risks into autonomous preventative actions and work collaboratively across Check Point and third-party security products to contain compromised assets and mitigate external exposures.”

Cyberint’s key capabilities include:

1. A Comprehensive External Risk Management Solution for SecOps Teams: Cyberint’s solution offers detection and takedown of impersonating website and social media accounts, as well as stolen credentials and leaked data associated with organizations. It also enables companies to detect vulnerable internet-facing websites and applications and prioritize and effectively mitigate these vulnerabilities.
2. Differentiated by Delivering Impactful and Actionable Intelligence: Cyberint delivers actionable intelligence within 20 minutes after setup, ensuring that security teams can respond to threats promptly.
3. Powered by AI and Enhanced by High-Quality Managed Services: Cyberint uses AI to deliver effective risk detection, mitigation, and contextualized alerts with minimal false positives. Managed services further strengthen this approach, offering expert guidance and ensuring comprehensive, high-quality management.

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur by the end of 2024.

Security teams often face challenges managing traditional WAFs, which require meticulous setup and ongoing maintenance. Check Point’s 2024 Cloud Security Report highlights this concern, with 96% of respondents expressing difficulty in effectively managing cloud security risks.

CloudGuard WAFaaS tackles this problem by offering a fully managed service. It eliminates the complexities associated with traditional WAFs, transforming a cumbersome process into a streamlined operation that can be deployed in just minutes.

“Modern cloud operations need straightforward and effective protection for Web Services and APIs, which CloudGuard WAFaaS provides through essential, automated, and cloud-delivered security,” said Oded Gonda, VP Technology & Innovation at Check Point Software Technologies. “CloudGuard WAFaaS simplifies application security for our customers, providing top-notch threat prevention within a managed solution that can be deployed in under five minutes and effectively prevents zero-day threats.”

CloudGuard WAFaaS goes beyond simplified management. It utilizes AI-powered threat detection to identify and block zero-day attacks, DDoS attempts, and bot activity. Contextual analysis minimizes false positives, freeing up security personnel to focus on other critical tasks.

The solution also offers advanced API security, protecting APIs from unauthorized access and data breaches. Additionally, CloudGuard WAFaaS includes DDoS prevention, automated certificate management, and comprehensive security for various cloud environments.

“Unlike traditional web application firewalls, which rely heavily on manual intervention and frequent signature updates, our newly released Check Point CloudGuard WAFaaS leverages AI to adapt to new threats dynamically,” said Brian McHenry, Head of Cloud Security Engineering at Check Point Software. “This capability ensures that organizations have a preventative defence mechanism that evolves with the threat landscape without generating time-consuming false positives.”

CloudGuard WAFaaS is available now through Check Point’s global partner network.

Check out Arabian Reseller’s GISEC 2024 Special Edition, here: https://arabianreseller.com/april2024

Tell us about the cybersecurity trends for 2024.
In 2024, cybersecurity trends are characterized by significant advancements and challenges. Check Point Software’s predictions for 2024 highlight the central role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in cyberattacks, with an increase in AI-directed attacks and the use of deepfake technology for phishing. The industry will witness a shift towards “zero trust” models in supply chains amidst rising cyber threats to critical infrastructure.

AI will revolutionise cyber insurance with predictive risk assessment, reducing premiums. Nation-state attacks and hacktivism will persist, while deepfake technology will pose new threats. Phishing attacks will grow more sophisticated, and ransomware will evolve with AI integration. Regulatory scrutiny of AI usage will intensify.

What is the theme of your participation at GISEC 2024?
At GISEC 2024, Check Point Software Technologies underscores its commitment to fortifying organizations against evolving cyber threats. With the UAE facing an average of 1,207 cyberattacks per organization weekly over the last six months, Check Point aims to exhibit its innovative AI-powered, cloud-delivered cybersecurity platform solutions. Its participation at GISEC centres on showcasing the Check Point Infinity Platform, designed to address modern challenges. Additionally, the company prioritizes strengthening customer and partner relationships, reflecting its ongoing dedication to providing advanced cybersecurity solutions tailored to the region.

Which products and solutions will you be showcasing at GISEC 2024?
GISEC being the largest cyber security exhibition and conference in the Middle East, provides a premier platform for industry leaders to showcase the latest innovations and solutions. At the event, Check Point Software will be showcasing the company’s flagship Check Point Infinity Platform, which is at the forefront of AI-powered, cloud-delivered cybersecurity. Visitors can explore these solutions at booth #C39 in Hall 7, where the following highlights will be featured:

1. Check Point Infinity Playblocks: Automatically triggers preventive actions upon detecting an attack, swiftly containing threats through a consolidated, cloud-based security platform.
2. Check Point Infinity AI Copilot: Enhances the efficiency of security teams by leveraging AI to automate complex tasks and deliver proactive security solutions.
3. Check Point UAE Infinity Portal: Tailored to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes while fully adhering to the UAE’s data privacy regulations.

How are you equipped to help companies overcome digital security and privacy challenges?
Check Point Software Technologies is equipped to address digital security and privacy challenges with its comprehensive Check Point Infinity Platform. Designed to navigate the evolving threat landscape, the platform offers holistic protection, streamlined operations, and collaborative communication capabilities. Leveraging AI throughout, Check Point enhances cybersecurity efficiency and accuracy, enabling proactive threat anticipation and rapid response.

With solutions such as Check Point Harmony securing workspaces, Check Point CloudGuard safeguarding the cloud, Check Point Quantum protecting networks, and Infinity Core Services facilitating collaborative security operations, Check Point Software empowers organizations to mitigate risks effectively.

Is there a skills gap in the cybersecurity industry? What needs to be done to bridge that gap?
The cybersecurity industry faces a pronounced skills gap, exacerbated by advancing technology and growing demand for experts. With Cybersecurity Ventures predicting approximately 3.5 million unfilled positions expected by 2025, addressing this gap necessitates a multifaceted approach.

Educational initiatives, training programs, and certifications are crucial, alongside public-private partnerships and governmental support. Companies must invest in employee development and collaborate with educational institutions to promote cybersecurity education. Proactive measures are vital to cultivating a skilled workforce capable of meeting the industry’s expanding needs.

In today’s digital landscape, businesses moving to cloud environments face two major challenges: increasing cyber threats and a shortage of cyber security professionals. This situation puts organizations at greater risk of advanced cyber attacks, often without enough resources to respond effectively. Check Point Infinity AI Copilot addresses these issues by using AI to automate both common and complex security tasks, lightening the workload for security teams, while also improving security effectiveness against the most sophisticated attacks.

The collaboration with Azure OpenAI Service is a key part of Check Point’s strategy to produce generative AI cyber security products and services. “Our collaboration with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service represents a significant leap forward in our mission to offer the most advanced AI-driven security solutions,” said Eyal Manor, VP of Product Management at Check Point. “By combining Microsoft’s AI expertise and tools with our deep understanding of cyber security across networks, clouds and devices, we are setting new benchmarks for what organizations can achieve in their battle against expanding cyber threats with limited IT resources.”

Infinity AI Copilot, already recognized for its innovative approach to cybersecurity, is set to become even more powerful. The enhanced solution now benefits from advanced large language models (LLMs) provided by Microsoft, making it capable of addressing a wide range of cybersecurity challenges with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

With Infinity AI Copilot, Check Point customers will experience a notable improvement in how cyber security is managed within their organizations including:

1. Accelerated Administration Resolution Times: Using AI to reduce the time needed to complete security administration tasks by up to 90% including event analysis, troubleshooting, and policy changes.
2. Advanced Incident Response: Utilizing AI and automation in large-scale threat hunting, operational analysis, remediation and incident resolution.
3. Unified Cloud-delivered Protection: Offering comprehensive AI-assisted security across the entire Check Point Infinity Platform – from network to cloud to workspace – making it a true comprehensive copilot, backed by the seamless integration of Azure OpenAI Service.

In addition to the above improvements, Check Point brings its unique ability to protect the LLMs from critical vulnerabilities, such as prompt injection, bypassing of native security controls, harmful speech, hallucinations and more. Check Point has developed and implemented its prompt engineering, utilising retrieval augmented generation (RAG) best practice. Regarding Infinity AI Copilot, RAG is used to improve the reliability and accuracy of the service with facts fetched from Check Point sources, including its community forum (called CheckMates), its product documentation and internal databases for product-specific data.

“Our relationship with Check Point signifies our shared commitment to use AI technology to enhance cyber security,” said Anat Gil, Partners Lead Microsoft South-East Europe “By integrating Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service with Check Point Infinity AI Copilot, we are not only advancing the capabilities of AI in protecting digital environments but also empowering organizations to navigate the digital landscape securely and confidently, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of their current security personnel.”

“AI provides great benefits across healthcare, education, finance and more. At the same time, the rate and sophistication of cyber attacks are increasing, with threat actors increasingly looking at ways to disrupt AI workloads in the cloud,” said Gera Dorfman, Vice President of Network Security at Check Point Software Technologies. “We are working with NVIDIA to deliver a new secure AI cloud solution with Check Point AI Cloud Protect that guards even the most sensitive and private AI workloads against cyber threats.”

The rapid proliferation of AI has brought about a revolution in workplace efficiency and innovation. However, this growth also creates additional attack vectors specifically targeting AI, such as backdooring AI models to control a model’s output or to gain unauthorized access to the environment, data exfiltration to expose intellectual property, and denial of service to degrade performance and reduce capacity.

These threats compromise the integrity and security of AI systems and pose risks to business outcomes. They can also erode the foundational trust in AI operations, while potentially affecting other aspects of the data center. There is a critical need for a revamped security approach to protect not only the data in its traditional form but also the AI models themselves, which are central to innovation and competitive edge.

Check Point aims to address these challenges with NVIDIA by integrating network and host-level security insights, offering a comprehensive solution that protects AI infrastructures from both conventional and novel cyber threats. This integrated approach helps ensure the security system is cognizant of network activities and host-level processes, which is crucial for safeguarding AI’s future.

As AI becomes more pervasive, securing AI clouds becomes paramount,” said Yael Shenhav, Vice President of Networking Products at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA BlueField 3 enables innovators such as Check Point to offer robust cyber defence measures to secure AI cloud data centres, while also ensuring peak AI performance.”

In response to these emerging challenges, AI Cloud Protect emerges as a strategic solution, addressing the dynamic security requirements of the AI era. Designed for easy deployment and adaptability, it offers out-of-the-box security without impacting AI performance. Designed for effortless integration and scalability, the AI Cloud Protect provides a robust shield against sophisticated cyber threats.

Engineered with the NVIDIA BlueField 3 DPU, which powers a new class of AI cloud data centres, and the NVIDIA DOCA software framework, AI Cloud Protect is designed to seamlessly integrate into NVIDIA’s AI ecosystems, providing:

• Robust Defense Against AI-Specific Threats: Empowers organizations to efficiently shield against model inversion, model theft and other attack vectors with unprecedented efficiency.
• Scalable, Seamless Integration: Facilitates easy deployment across diverse AI environments, ensuring security measures grow in tandem with organizational needs.
• Optimized Performance with Zero Compromise: Ensures AI operations continue unhindered, with security processes running discreetly, leveraging NVIDIA’s technological infrastructure without impacting AI performance.