Anton Shipulin, Industrial Cybersecurity Evangelist at Nozomi Networks, shares his insights on the evolving industrial cybersecurity landscape in the GCC region, the rising threat to OT environments, and the importance of visibility, automation, and AI-driven threat detection. Speaking with Enterprise IT World MEA’s Editor, Sanjay Mohapatra, at GISEC Global 2025, he outlines the company’s regional strategy and offers practical guidance for businesses.
What has been your experience participating in GISEC 2025 so far?
It’s always a pleasure to be here at GISEC. The event is a key gathering for cybersecurity professionals in the Middle East, and it provides an excellent platform to meet clients, partners, and peers. The discussions are insightful, especially as the threat landscape continues to evolve rapidly. This year, the conversations around operational technology (OT) and industrial cybersecurity have been particularly engaging.
“Start with visibility — you cannot secure what you cannot see. Combining AI, automation, and cross-functional teams is the key to true cyber resilience.” — Anton Shipulin, Industrial Cybersecurity Evangelist, Nozomi Networks
Could you describe the cybersecurity challenges you see in the GCC region, especially in critical infrastructure sectors?
The GCC region has a heavy dependence on critical infrastructure like oil and gas, energy, water treatment, and manufacturing. These sectors are increasingly converging their IT and OT systems, which unfortunately broadens the attack surface. We’re seeing a variety of threat actors—nation-states, cybercriminals, hacktivists, and even insiders—targeting these vital assets. The challenge lies in protecting these complex environments where legacy OT systems often coexist with modern IT infrastructure, making traditional security approaches insufficient.
How does Nozomi Networks engage with clients in this region to address these challenges?
Our approach starts with deeply understanding the client’s operational and security challenges. Many organizations have enterprise risk management in place, but often cyber risk is not fully integrated into their overall risk frameworks. We work closely with clients to help them translate cyber risks into business terms that executives can understand, ensuring cybersecurity becomes part of their strategic priorities. Our solutions focus on providing comprehensive visibility into both IT and OT environments, which is critical for effective risk management.
Insider threats are often a big concern. How do you address these at Nozomi Networks?
Insider threats can be both accidental and intentional. One key strategy we emphasize is automation. By automating routine security monitoring and response, we reduce the dependency on manual processes that are prone to human error. Automation helps enforce consistent security policies and allows security teams to focus on more strategic tasks. Of course, technology alone is not enough; a strong culture of security awareness is also vital.
Speaking of awareness, what role does employee training play in your cybersecurity strategy?
Awareness and training are foundational. We advocate for continuous, role-based education programs that keep employees informed about the latest threats and best practices. Tailoring training to specific roles—whether for engineers working on OT systems or executives making business decisions—makes it more relevant and effective. An informed workforce is a critical line of defense against both insider threats and external attacks.
Detecting and isolating threats early is crucial. How does Nozomi Networks leverage technology to achieve this?
Our platform heavily relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to analyze large volumes of data from diverse sources in real time. AI helps identify anomalies and suspicious activities that might indicate an attack or system malfunction. Early detection enables faster isolation and remediation, limiting the potential damage. We continuously improve our AI models to adapt to evolving threats and complex industrial environments.
How does your solution integrate with other security tools that organizations might already have?
Interoperability is a core design principle for us. Our platform can seamlessly integrate with existing security information and event management (SIEM) systems, network detection and response (NDR) tools, and other security infrastructure. This interoperability ensures that organizations gain a unified view of their security posture across both IT and OT domains, which is critical for coordinated incident response.
Looking ahead to 2025, what are Nozomi Networks’ key strategic priorities in the Middle East?
We are committed to deepening our presence in the Middle East, a region that’s rapidly evolving in its approach to industrial cybersecurity. Our priorities include enhancing our AI and automation capabilities to provide even more proactive threat detection and response. We are also focusing on expanding partnerships with local system integrators and cybersecurity firms to better support clients. Ultimately, our goal is to empower organizations to achieve true cyber resilience, ensuring their critical infrastructure remains secure and operational.
How do you see the cybersecurity landscape evolving in the next few years, especially with the growing IT-OT convergence?
The convergence of IT and OT is accelerating, driven by digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiatives. This trend increases both opportunities and risks. We expect cyber threats targeting OT environments to become more sophisticated. Organizations will need to adopt integrated security strategies that combine visibility, automation, AI, and workforce training. Regulatory frameworks are also tightening, which will push organizations to adopt best practices more rigorously.
Can you share any recent success stories or case studies from the region where Nozomi Networks made a significant impact?
While I can’t disclose client names due to confidentiality, I can say that we’ve helped several energy and manufacturing clients in the GCC identify previously undetected vulnerabilities and threats within their OT networks. By deploying our solution, these organizations gained comprehensive real-time visibility, enabling rapid incident detection and mitigation. In some cases, our platform prevented attacks that could have led to costly operational disruptions or safety hazards.
What advice would you give to organizations in the Middle East just beginning to focus on industrial cybersecurity?
Start with visibility. You cannot secure what you cannot see. Implement solutions that provide real-time insights into your OT and IT environments. Secondly, build cross-functional teams that include both IT and OT experts to foster collaboration and shared responsibility. Thirdly, invest in automation and AI to enhance detection and response capabilities. Finally, continuously educate and engage your workforce to build a security-first culture.
How can enterprises balance innovation and security, especially with rapid technological changes?
It’s about integrating security early into innovation processes—what we call “security by design.” Instead of treating security as an afterthought, it should be embedded in every phase of technology deployment, from planning to operations. Using platforms that are scalable and flexible helps enterprises adapt without compromising security. Agile security practices that evolve with business needs are essential.
How do you see Nozomi Networks evolving its product offerings in response to future threats?
We continuously invest in research and development to stay ahead of emerging threats. Future offerings will likely feature enhanced AI-driven analytics, improved automation workflows, and tighter integrations with broader security ecosystems. We are also exploring how emerging technologies like quantum-safe cryptography and advanced threat intelligence can be incorporated to provide next-generation protections.
Finally, any closing thoughts for the readers and cybersecurity community in the Middle East?
The cybersecurity landscape is challenging but also full of opportunity. With the right mindset, technology, and partnerships, organizations can not only defend against threats but also turn cybersecurity into a competitive advantage. At Nozomi Networks, we are excited to be part of this journey with the Middle East’s vibrant and forward-looking cybersecurity community.
