Proofpoint’s Haifa Ketiti on AI-driven cybersecurity solutions

Q. Given that human error is the biggest cybersecurity threat, how does Proofpoint leverage AI and ML to mitigate cyber risks?

Humans are every organisation’s most critical asset, yet they also represent its greatest risk. Human error remains the number one vulnerability, especially when working with data. With the increasing use of generative AI tools for data generation, humans have become a prime target for threat actors.

At Proofpoint, we believe that a human-centric approach to cybersecurity is essential to protect an organisation’s most valuable asset: its people.

Q. What are the differentiators and value propositions of Proofpoint’s services and products?

Proofpoint demonstrated its human-centric approach to cybersecurity at GITEX Global 2024, focusing on protecting people as the most critical asset in any organisation.

We recently introduced two key platforms: Nexus and Zen. Nexus leverages artificial intelligence, threat detection, and behaviour analysis to identify and mitigate threats. Meanwhile, Zen protects users as they interact with data across emails, collaboration apps, social media, and more.

Q. How does Proofpoint collaborate with other organisations and industry partners to address emerging cybersecurity threats and share best practices?

We believe that collaboration is essential to staying ahead of threat actors. That’s why we’ve established partnerships across the cybersecurity space, enabling integrations with other ecosystem partners and next-generation cybersecurity platforms. Threat intelligence and information exchange are critical components, allowing us to build robust protection and detection capabilities collectively.

Q. How does the company envision its role in shaping the future of the cybersecurity industry, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region?

Proofpoint, as a human-centric cybersecurity vendor, focuses on helping organisations protect their people, ultimately strengthening organisational security. Our recent research in the UAE found that over 70 per cent of CEOs identify human error as the top cybersecurity risk.

By adopting a human-centric approach, organisations can protect users from threats across cloud, email, web, and more while educating and training them to become resilient defenders of the organisation’s security posture.

The approach extends to data loss prevention by identifying how data is at risk and helping organisations mitigate incidents caused by careless, malicious, or compromised users.

Q. What are your predictions for the future of the cybersecurity industry, and how is Proofpoint positioning itself to capitalise on these trends?

Proofpoint has integrated AI and ML into its services and products from the start, allowing us to innovate continuously, adopt new technologies, and stay in step with the evolving threat landscape. Our goal is to help organisations stay ahead of threats and, most importantly, protect against malicious actors. We believe that constant innovation is essential to keeping organisations secure, protecting their people, and defending their data.

As a senior systems engineer at Proofpoint Middle East, my role is to help customers identify their unique challenges and address them with our solutions. We are committed to assisting customers in identifying high-risk users, protecting their people, and securing the data they access, create, and manage.

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