It’s no surprise, then, that the 1982-born Emirati, who leads Dubai’s cyber security strategy, R&D agenda and policies, is the only Arab representative on the Global Future Council on Cybersecurity in World Economic Forum since 2020, while having the rare privilege of being equal. invited reviewer for the World Bank Cloud Computing Group.
In addition, the PhD student is the inventor of two patents in memory management and cloud computing, with the dream of seeing his “Made in UAE” devices being taken up in the country and abroad soon.
Dr Bushra, who is very modest about all her achievements, attributes her success to the leadership of the UAE. His role model is His Highness Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, whose adage “Nothing is impossible” has become his motto.
“In fact, thanks to the management’s empowerment, nothing is impossible. It’s a matter of believing in your abilities and seizing the right opportunities,” he explains.
The UAE’s advances in cyber security
As an example, she talks about how global bodies like the World Economic Forum and the World Bank take what officials like her say seriously today because of the UAE’s phenomenal advances in the cyber security and artificial intelligence space .
“From its position of number 30 in the Global Cyber Index three years ago, the UAE ranks number 4 today, which is a great achievement,” says Dr Bushra.
Dr. Bushra, who has published many articles and participated in numerous national and international conferences, is currently a member of several advisory boards and committees globally.
Image credit: Clint Egbert/Gulf News
Even in the World Bank’s Cloud Computing Group, a working framework for developed countries, Dubai’s example is cited in terms of best practices for cloud computing and digital services, he adds.
Dr. Bushra, who has published many articles and participated in numerous national and international conferences, is currently a member of several advisory boards and committees globally.
Bushra believes she has made it this far because she keeps challenging herself. He recalled how he passed out with a degree in software engineering as part of the pioneering group of students at the IT College of the United Arab Emirates University in 2000. Also in 2010, when he was working with an of transport, she was comfortably placed as an IT manager. for public transport initiatives, but left his job to pursue a master’s in public administration from MBRSG in partnership with Harvard University. He went on to earn a second master’s degree in information security from Khalifa University and a PhD in electrical engineering with cloud security.
Importance of improving skills
He hasn’t looked back since, he says, stressing the importance of upskilling. Indeed, as part of the ESCR’s internal digital skills committee, its aim is to create a comprehensive skills framework for the Dubai Digital Task Force, as well as creating one for universities and schools to improve the talent according to demand.
Cyber security is a shared responsibility – if we, as individuals, are not aware of it, we may be the weakest point in a cyber disaster,” says Dr Bushra.
Image credit: Pixabay. For illustrative purposes only.
It is not rhetoric as Dr. Bushra continues to identify the demand. “Digital Dubai recently commissioned a first-of-its-kind study to find out the current and future levels of demand and needs for digital skills in Dubai. The Employer Digital Skills Survey assessed 15,812 ICT employees from 17 economic activities different in 522 establishments,” he says, adding how the initiative helped identify gaps in digital skills with respect to predefined ICT categories.
“Whether you’re a student or a parent, whether you’re working in computing or not, greater access to digital skills is so important,” she notes, all out to ensure that happens.
Now, how does Dr. Bushra manage all this while being a mother of six? How do you attend to the needs of the children and achieve a work-life balance? “I try to do the best I can and I encourage my children – five girls and one boy – to do the same. The oldest is in his first year of college while the youngest is three years old. I tell them to set their own goals and achieve what they really want.”
He says that apart from individual responsibility, giving back to society and the country is a necessity, regardless of the field in which you work.
For her personally, her work is her passion. “Even in my free time, I end up reading books about cyber security and how we can relate to other countries. It’s always at the forefront of my mind.”
He has a word of caution as parting shot: “Never think you won’t be hacked. Cyber security is a shared responsibility: if we, as individuals, are not aware of it, we may be the weakest point in a disaster cybernetic”.