Abu Dhabi company to provide cyber-security for Expo 2020 Dubai

Digital experts DarkMatter to support global exhibition

Abu Dhabi firm DarkMatter will provide cyber security for Expo 2020. courtesy of Expo 2020.

Preparations for Expo 2020 Dubai are continuing to gather pace – with an Abu Dhabi company recruited to bolster cyber-security at the international event.

The huge extravaganza, which brings together ideas, innovation and inventions, is set to attract 25 million visitors from all over the globe when it takes over the city in two years.

As the event's cyber-security provider, DarkMatter will be responsible for safeguarding the entire digital platform of Expo 2020.

DarkMatter will provide a range of services, from security management and monitoring, to risk assessments, incident response and technical forensics before, during and after Expo 2020.

“In today’s increasingly connected world, the need for innovative cyber-security solutions cannot be overstated," said Mohammed Alhashmi, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Future Technology at Expo 2020 Dubai. "Finding the best ways to ensure we operate safely and securely – and with foresight of potential issues to prevent them from occurring – is critical for the Expo 2020 experience and its success.

“Cyber-security is a fast-evolving field, so it is important that we collaborate with industry experts like DarkMatter to develop solutions that keep Expo 2020’s digital infrastructure safe and secure.”

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi and with research and development centres in Canada, Finland and China, DarkMatter provides cyber-security services to clients around the world, including governments and major events.

“Expo 2020 is a project of national significance and, as a company founded in the UAE, we feel very proud to be playing such an important role in helping to prepare for and deliver the biggest ever event in the region," said Rabih Dabboussi, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Sales and Marketing at DarkMatter.

The first World Expo was held in 1851 at London's Crystal Palace and was known as The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations. It displayed about 100,000 objects showcasing inventions from the Industrial Revolution.

Some of the amazing inventions which were first brought to the world at an expo included the telegraph in London in 1851, the typewriter in Philadelphia in 1876, the diesel engine in Paris in 1900, the colour TV in New York in 1964, Imax film in Osaka in 1970, and wireless trams in Yeosu in 2012.

The most recent expo, in 2015, was held in Milan, Italy, under the theme of "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life". Inventions to come out of it included solar trees and energy-saving elevators.