Dhanya Thakkar, EVP of North America and AMEA Sales at Trend Micro
Doha, Qatar: As cyber threats become more sophisticated, securing and enhancing the nation’s digital infrastructure is important, an official stressed.
Speaking to The Peninsula, Dhanya Thakkar, EVP of North America and AMEA Sales at Trend Micro noted that Threat mitigation strategies are essential to implement in the country in order to align with Qatar National Vision 2030 and focus on economic diversification, digital transformation, and a knowledge-based economy.
The American-domiciled software firm expanded its North Gulf hub in Qatar to serve as a center of excellence for cybersecurity, ensuring that businesses, government entities, and critical sectors have access to world-class security expertise.
“Through our cutting-edge solutions, advanced threat intelligence, and investment in talent development initiatives like the CyberGate internship program, we are actively addressing the cybersecurity skills gap (cybersecurity expertise shortage of 3.5 million globally), fostering local expertise, and empowering the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, Thakkar said. Through the integration of AI-driven cybersecurity, proactive threat intelligence, and strategic collaborations across public and private sectors, companies aim to go beyond merely safeguarding digital assets and empower the nation’s digital future, strengthening its leadership in secure, innovative digital transformation across the region.
The official stressed that “Collaboration is at the core of Trend Micro’s approach to cybersecurity innovation.” Acting as a catalyst for regional cyber resilience, the Qatari hub will drive forward multiple initiatives to strengthen and future-proof cybersecurity capabilities Thakkar said, “We are committed to working closely with government bodies, regulatory authorities, and private enterprises to develop and implement cybersecurity frameworks that align with Qatar’s digital transformation roadmap.”
However, through initiatives like CyberGate, Qatar is shaping the future of cybersecurity by empowering young professionals and sustaining the talent needed to drive digital transformation. “Our hub will contribute to global and regional cybersecurity research, leveraging AI and machine learning to provide real-time threat intelligence that proactively mitigates cyber risks,” he said.
By delivering cutting-edge, sector-specific services to industries such as finance, energy, and critical infrastructure, the country is reinforcing its defenses and ensuring long-term resilience in the face of emerging cyber threats.
Thakkar mentioned, “Our goal is to establish a cybersecurity ecosystem that fosters innovation, accelerates digital transformation, and ensures the safety of Qatar’s rapidly expanding digital economy.”
As AI and machine learning drive innovation across the digital space, they also open the door to sophisticated threats—from AI-powered attacks to deepfake scams and self-propagating malware. He remarked that Trend Micro is staying ahead of the curve with a multi-layered security approach designed to counter these emerging risks.
“Our Trend Vision One Platform with Next-Gen XDR and AI Capabilities enhances threat detection and response across endpoints, cloud environments, and networks,” he said.
Through the use of advanced analytics, Trend Vision One uncovers sophisticated attack behaviors in real-time, empowering organisations to proactively contain threats before they develop further. As the largest vendor-agnostic bug bounty program globally, the industry leader explained that its Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) delivers early visibility into vulnerabilities, enabling enterprises to stay ahead of emerging cyber threats. Identifying security flaws proactively, helps companies fortify their defenses against AI-powered attacks.
Thakkar further added “Through our collaboration with NVIDIA, we enhance security for AI-enabled environments with Trend Vision One Sovereign and Private Cloud (SPC). This ensures businesses operating in regulated industries or requiring sovereign cloud solutions can deploy AI securely while maintaining compliance and data sovereignty.”
AI-powered threats require a cybersecurity-first mindset across organisations. He said it is vital for Qatar to actively educate enterprises and individuals through cybersecurity awareness initiatives, ensuring that human and technical defences evolve alongside emerging AI threats.
