Cybersecurity leaders from more than 180 countries will gather in Dubai to address ransomware, identity fraud, critical infrastructure security and digital sovereignty. 

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GISEC Global 2026 opens September 16 at Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City Dubai, bringing cybersecurity executives, government officials, technology companies and security researchers together to examine some of the biggest security challenges facing organizations and governments. Running from September 16 to 18, the 15th edition of GISEC is being held under the theme "Cyber First: The New Digital Order." 

The program will cover artificial intelligence, quantum computing, operational technology, critical infrastructure and cybersecurity skills. GISEC is hosted by the UAE Cyber Security Council, with the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) serving as the official government cybersecurity partner, alongside support from the Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police. 

AI Is Becoming a Cybersecurity Problem of Its Own 

Artificial intelligence is expected to be one of the central themes at this year's event as security teams deal with attacks that can be automated, adapted and scaled more quickly than many traditional defenses were designed to handle. GISEC organizers cite figures showing that 60 percent of ransomware campaigns are now fully AI-assisted, while polymorphic malware is making detection more difficult by continually changing its code. The figures come from the event's organizers, but they point to a growing concern for security teams as attackers gain new tools for scaling and adapting their operations. 

Identity fraud is becoming a growing concern as deepfakes and synthetic identities make it harder to determine whether someone is genuine. The Entrust 2026 Identity Fraud Report, based on more than one billion identity verification events across 195 countries, found that deepfakes accounted for one in five biometric fraud attempts. GISEC will address the issue in a keynote featuring actor Michael Kelly, best known for his role as Doug Stamper in House of Cards, focused on deepfakes, digital identity and AI-powered impersonation. 

Cybersecurity Is Moving Further Into National Security 

Cybersecurity is increasingly tied to national security, and GISEC will put greater focus on that relationship this year. A new Cyber First Global Summit will bring together government officials, central bank governors, national cybersecurity authorities and business leaders to discuss the links between cyber risks, economic stability and essential infrastructure. As governments digitize public services and critical industries, an attack against a power grid, hospital network, telecommunications provider or financial institution can quickly become a broader economic or public safety problem. 

Government officials and enterprise security leaders from organizations including Visa, Under Armour and Aikido Security are among those taking part in the program. Speakers include H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council; Subra Kumaraswamy, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Visa; and Roeland Delrue, Co-Founder and COO of Aikido Security. 

GISEC will examine security issues affecting the systems that support physical infrastructure. Sessions will cover operational technology and industrial control systems, cloud security, ransomware, malware, data security and critical infrastructure protection. Quantum security will feature as governments and businesses consider how future quantum computers could affect the cryptographic systems currently used to protect sensitive information. Protecting data over long periods presents a particular challenge as quantum computing develops. Large-scale quantum computers are not yet capable of breaking widely used encryption, but data stolen today could potentially be stored and decrypted later if the technology reaches that point. Some organizations are therefore beginning to assess their cryptographic dependencies and plan for post-quantum security. 

Digital sovereignty is another part of the discussion, particularly as governments examine where their data is stored, who operates the infrastructure supporting digital services and how much control they have over critical technologies. Cloud infrastructure, AI systems, data centers, telecommunications networks and security capabilities are increasingly part of those decisions. Across the Middle East, investment in digital infrastructure is growing alongside efforts to reduce exposure to external disruptions, putting sovereign cloud environments, locally controlled systems and domestic security capabilities higher on the agenda. 

Live cyber exercises and cybersecurity skills programs will feature during the event. The Dubai Cyber Challenge and School of Cyber Defense are part of the wider program, while the GISEC CISO Circle is expected to bring more than 250 cybersecurity executives together for closed-door discussions. 

GISEC Global 2026 comes as governments and businesses face a security environment shaped by faster-moving attacks, new technologies and geopolitical uncertainty. Much of the discussion in Dubai will center on how organizations can protect the infrastructure, data and digital systems that increasingly underpin modern economies. 

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