21st – 22nd October, 2024






Conference Overview

The 6th Cybersecurity Education and Research Conference (CERC) is a joint venture organised by the Kuwait’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) in collaboration with UK Government, the British Embassy in Kuwait, the Kuwait College of Science & Technology (KCST), and Kuwait University (KU). The conference will take place at the Kuwait College of Science & Technology (KCST) Auditorium on 21-22 October 2024 with support for accommodating international speakers and pre-registered attendees.

The theme for this year’s conference is:

Advancing Cybersecurity in the Age of AI and Education

Area of Focus

cerc 2023

Program

8:30 – 9:00

Preparation and Check-In

Opening Session
Location: KCST Auditorium

9:00 – 9:30

Opening Speech

9:30 – 10:00

Keynote #1

Cybersecurity in the State of Kuwait

Eng. Meshaal Al Zayed, NCSC, Kuwait

10:00 – 10:30

Keynote #2 (Online)

Prof. Julia Sutcliffe, DBT Chief Scientific Adviser, UK

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee Break

Session 1: Privacy, AI, and Cybersecurity Regulation
Location: KCST Auditorium

11:00 – 11:20

How might Privacy Regulations Evolve in the AI Age? A question of politics, pace and punishment

Mr. Gerard Buckley, UCL PhD Cybersecurity Candidate, University College London, UK

11:20 – 11:40

Cybersecurity Landscape in the GCC: Challenges and Opportunities for Advancement

Dr. Fai Mostafa Ben Salamah, National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), Kuwait

11:40 – 12:00

Cyber security in International Relations (Online)

Dr. Alanoud Alsabah, Academic Researcher, Research Journey, Kuwait

12:00 – 13:00

Discussion Panel # 1: The New Era of AI and Cybersecurity Transforming Educational Practices

Moderator:Prof. Khalid Al-Begain, KCST
Panelist: Prof. Omer F. Rana, Dr. Fai Mostafa Ben Salamah, Dr. Basil Alothman

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch

Session 2: AI Applications in Cybersecurity
Location: KCST Auditorium

14:00 – 14:20

Securing the Internet of Things: Industrial applications

Dr. Israfil Biswas, Senior Lecturer, University of Bedfordshire, UK

14:20 – 14:40

Leveraging AI for Enhanced Cybersecurity Solutions

Dr. Tawfik Al-Hadhrami, Senior Lecturer/Researcher, Nottingham Trent University, UK

14:40 – 15:00

Ethics in AI-Driven Behavioral Interventions

Dr. Konstantinos Mersinas, Associate Professor, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

8:30 – 9:00

Preparation and Check-In

9:00 – 09:30

Edge AI and Cyber-Disturbances

Prof. Omer F. Rana, Professor and Dean of International for Physical Sciences and Engineering College, Cardiff University, UK

Session 3 : Education and Resilience in Cybersecurity
Location: KCST Auditorium

09:30 – 09:50

Cybersecurity in Secondary Education: Empowering Students to Counter Digital Threats

Ms. Mona Salem , Acting General ICT supervisor , Ministry of Education, Kuwait

09:50 – 10:10

Resilience and Safety in Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)

Dr. Sridhar Adepu, Lecturer, University of Bristol, UK

10:10 – 10:30

Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning

Dr. Aydin Abadi, Assistant Professor, Newcastle University, UK

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee Break

11:00 – 11:20

Raising Cybersecurity Awareness Through Adult Training

Eng. Abrar Yousef Aldekheel, Specialist Trainer, Higher Institutes for Telecommunications & Navigation, Public Authority for Applied Education & Training, Kuwait

11:20 – 11:40

Information Security Risk Management

Mr. Rishabh R Gaikwad, Head of Information Security, Alghanim Industries, Kuwait

11:40 – 12:00

Cybersecurity Education (Online)

Dr. Eirini Anthi, Lecturer, Cardiff University, UK

12:00 – 13:00

Discussion Panel # 2 Positive and negative roles of AI in Cybersecurity.

Moderator:Professor. Haidar Ramadhan, KCST
Panelist: Ms. Mona Salem, Mr. Rishabh R Gaikwad, Dr. Konstantinos Mersinas

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch Break

Session 4: Global and Regional Cybersecurity Insights and Innovations
Location: KCST Auditorium

14:00 – 14:20

Enhancing Student Learning Journeys through a range of AI-based Support Services

Dr. Fauzia Idrees Abro, Programme Director MSc Cyber Security (DL) & MSc Information Security, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

14:20 – 14:40

OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Models (LLMs)

Eng. Faisal Albuloushi, OWASP Kuwait Chapter Leader, Kuwait

14:40 – 15:00

The Role of AI in Cybersecurity

Eng. Fatima Alabdulkareem, Senior Information Security Administrator, Petrochemical Industries Company, Kuwait

15:00 – 15:20

Embedding Cybersecurity in Educational Curriculums and Professional Skill Enhancement

Dr. Shaheela Banu Abdul Majeed, Information Security & Compliance Officer and Auditor, Oil and Gas Industry, Kuwait

15:20 – 15:40

Closing Remarks

Conference Venue

Kuwait College of Science and Technology, Kuwait

Organizers

National Cyber Security Centre

The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) is a vital organization dedicated to safeguarding State of Kuwait digital infrastructure and data against cyber threats. It was established to build an effective cybersecurity system to protect the state vital interests in a way that ensure the sustainability of work , by preparing strategies, policies, standards, governance framework, building national capabilities and expertise and promoting a culture of community awareness and providing technical support and expert guidance to build cybersecurity operations teams; this is to confront risks and threats related to cybersecurity efficiently and effectively. NCSC also plays a pivotal role in enhancing national cyber resilience by focusing on continuous monitoring of all cyber threats and responding to incidents to ensure the security and safety of digital ecosystems and also providing proactive advice in addition exchanging cyber threat information in coordination with the public and private sectors as well as with the Local and international counterpart centers.

British Embassy, Kuwait

The British Embassy in Kuwait maintains and develops the close and historical relationship between UK and Kuwait. The Embassy works closely with Kuwait on a wide range of issues to increase the prosperity and security of both nations. Important areas of this cooperation include cyber security, defence and wider security co-operation, cultural and scientific exchanges, promoting trade and investment, tackling climate change and supporting international development.

Kuwait College of Science and Technology

Kuwait College of Science and Technology (KCST) is a private university located in Doha District of the Al Asimah Governate in Kuwait with a state-of-the-art-campus. KCST specialises in high tech degrees with strong leadership focus. KSCT is currently offering the following programs:

  • Bachelor in Computer Science - (CS)
  • Bachelor in Computer Engineering - (CE)
  • Bachelor in Electronics and Communications Engineering - (ECE)

Kuwait University

Kuwait University is the first governmental research university in the State of Kuwait. It was established in October 1966 under Law No.29 of 1966. Kuwait University seeks to provide a distinguished education, and contribute to the production, development, and dissemination of knowledge. In addition to enhancing the rehabilitation of human resources to achieve development goals; community needs, and to prepare distinguished individuals with the wealth of its knowledge resources. The university meets the development needs of the state and keeps pace with the requirements of the modern era through quality in higher education and excellence in scientific research. Kuwait University seeks to localize, develop, and disseminate knowledge to enrich the human capital of the population, and prepare leaders who are conscious of its heritage, fulfilling the needs and requirements of the modern era, and in cooperation with similar scientific and local institutions through:

  • Promoting national, Arab, and Islamic values and principles.
  • Localization, development, and dissemination of knowledge.
  • Developing and investing in human capital.
  • Achieving excellence in education, scientific research, and community service.
  • Introducing modern technologies.
UK Science and Innovation Network

The UK Science and Innovation Network is the UK Government lead on developing science partnerships and deploying science diplomacy around the world, recognising that international collaboration is essential to help address shared opportunities and threats. Our network is comprised of approximately 145 staff in over 70 locations working with local science and innovation organisations to build partnerships and collaborations on science, technology and innovation.

Sponsors

UK Science and Innovation Network

The UK Science and Innovation Network is the UK Government lead on developing science partnerships and deploying science diplomacy around the world, recognising that international collaboration is essential to help address shared opportunities and threats. Our network is comprised of approximately 145 staff in over 70 locations working with local science and innovation organisations to build partnerships and collaborations on science, technology and innovation.

more info

Registration


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