Cisco has declared its intent to create an Edge Data Center in Saudi Arabia with the objective of offering cloud security services. The data center's purpose is to aid customers in protecting their users, infrastructure, and investments from cyber threats. Cisco's decision to take this step is part of its continuing endeavors to equip local and regional organizations with adaptable security solutions and data protection for remote users, distributed locations, and devices.

It will support Cisco's cloud services, including the latest Secure Service Edge (SSE) solution, which is called Cisco Secure Access. Currently, many organizations rely on a variety of security products that were not designed to handle the challenges of today's highly distributed environments, resulting in inconsistent access experiences and frequent reauthentication that hinder productivity. Cisco Secure Access aims to solve these problems by automating decisions about user connections to the internet, Software as a Service (SaaS), and private applications. This automation simplifies processes and improves productivity.

The establishment of this data center underscores Cisco's dedication to a hybrid architecture that enables rapid expansion of its global reach for the benefit of customers. In Saudi Arabia, organizations will benefit from Cisco's co-located edge data center, which combines the scalability of public cloud with carrier-neutrality. The data center will be accessible through any Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Saudi Arabia. Cisco plans to make the services available by mid-2024.

Mr. Salman Faqeeh, the Managing Director of Cisco in Saudi Arabia, expressed his excitement about the news, saying, "This announcement reaffirms Cisco's dedication to offering advanced cloud security protection and services to the Saudi community. It builds on Cisco's longstanding commitment to our customers and reflects our ongoing support for digital transformation by leveraging technology to create a secure and thriving digital economy in Saudi Arabia."

The significance of security resilience is highlighted by the results of the recent Cisco Security Outcomes Report. The report revealed that 54 percent of surveyed organizations in Saudi Arabia had experienced a security event that had a significant impact on their business operations. The most frequent incidents reported were distributed denial of service attacks (60 percent), network or system outages (54 percent), and malicious insider abuse events (40 percent). The global report also demonstrated that integrating networking and security into a mature, cloud-delivered secure access services edge resulted in a 27 percent increase in security resilience scores.

Cisco's plan to establish an edge data center in Saudi Arabia is a strategic move aimed at providing cloud security services and helping organizations safeguard their infrastructure, users, and investments against cyber threats. By offering adaptable security solutions and data protection for distributed locations, remote users, and devices, Cisco is reaffirming its commitment to empowering local and regional organizations.

The co-located edge data center will combine the scalability of public cloud with carrier-neutrality, making it accessible through any ISP in Saudi Arabia. This initiative underscores Cisco's dedication to a hybrid architecture that enables rapid expansion of its global reach to benefit customers. Overall, this move by Cisco is expected to contribute to the growth of a secure and prosperous digital economy in Saudi Arabia.

As a Premier Cisco Partner, Ctelecoms is at the forefront of providing security services to companies of all sizes in Saudi Arabia. With our extensive knowledge and expertise in cybersecurity, we are well-positioned to help our clients protect their users, networks, data, and applications from cyber threats.

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