By Yousef Al-Tattan KUWAIT, Jan 19 (KUNA) -- Two global cybersecurity experts have stressed the importance of cybersecurity as a key pillar of national security and economic competitiveness amid the accelerating digital transformation.
The remarks were made during a seminar organized by the US Embassy in Kuwait on Monday under the title "Cybersecurity and Innovation," featuring cybersecurity expert Guillermo Christensen and British Google expert Matthew Hurling.
Christensen said that the pace of change in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, noting that what lies ahead will far exceed today's reality and calling for early preparedness for this rapidly evolving phase.
He explained that cybersecurity and artificial intelligence have become tools of national power and major drivers of economic competition.
He emphasized that governments worldwide recognize their importance in safeguarding national interests and that any modern economy lacking a strong foundation in these fields risks falling behind.
Christensen added that artificial intelligence has emerged as a general-purpose technology comparable to energy in terms of its broad impact.
The global shift toward data centers reflects a transformation in the nature of strategic assets and sources of wealth, he indicated. He further pointed out that international experience has shown the difficulty of addressing cybersecurity purely from a technical perspective, stressing that the human factor remains one of the key challenges and that flexible regulatory approaches are essential to keep pace with evolving threats.
For his part, Hurling underscored the importance of investing in cybersecurity as technology has become central to the operations of both public and private sectors.
He clarified that linking cybersecurity decisions to economic considerations and measuring return on investment helps transform cybersecurity into a clear and actionable issue for boards of directors and decision-makers.
Hurling noted that this approach assists in prioritizing protection efforts and reallocating investments toward more effective measures as risk landscapes change.
He stressed that implementing basic measures such as security updates represents the first line of defense.
The continued exploitation of old vulnerabilities reflects weak adherence to fundamental practices, he argued, calling for flexible programs to protect critical assets. (end) yt.ibi