AI adoption across the Gulf is accelerating faster than most security programs can keep pace with — from government and energy to financial services, telecom, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. Cyber leaders across the region are being asked to enable innovation while managing risks that legacy security controls were never designed to catch.
In this session, Chris Cochran, Field CISO and VP of AI Security at SANS Institute, introduces the AI Security Maturity Model™ (Gulf Region Edition) — a practical, five-stage framework built specifically for regional cyber leaders navigating this shift. Chris will walk through the model's three pillars (Protect, Utilize, Govern), show how to honestly assess where your organization stands today, and outline the concrete steps to close the gap to your target maturity stage — one shaped by your organization's AI adoption pattern, industry, and regulatory environment, not a one-size-fits-all benchmark.
Attendees will also learn how the model connects directly to the global standards Gulf regulators and customers increasingly expect, giving security leaders a defensible way to demonstrate AI governance maturity to boards, regulators, and partners.
You'll Leave This Session Able To:
- Identify which of the five maturity stages your organization is actually operating at — not where your roadmap says you are
- Apply the model's Protect / Utilize / Govern pillars to surface gaps regional organizations most commonly face
- Set a defensible target maturity stage based on your sector and risk profile
- Take the first concrete steps toward closing your governance and security gaps
Who Should Attend:
CISOs, security directors, risk and compliance leaders, and IT leadership across Gulf government, energy, financial services, telecom, healthcare, and critical infrastructure organizations building or refining their AI security programs.
