Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 19 | Page 17

TRENDING A secure access solutions business has boosted the efficiency of IT operations at an UAE tourist company. Pulse Secure has improved the security of IT operations at the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), based in Abu Dhabi. TDIC was created in 2006 as the dedicated tourism asset management and development arm of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority to drive the investment and development of the Emirate’s tourism sector. The tourist company has been involved in many of the Emirate’s most prestigious projects including The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and the UAE Pavilion, from the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, that was moved piece by piece to its new permanent home in Abu Dhabi. Most of the projects handled by TDIC are collaborative efforts that include many international partners. Its IT department had previously struggled with ensuring secure access to both its network and shared resources for TDIC employees and teams from partner organisations. “We normally have between 800 to 1000 TDIC staff on our network but during major projects we may need to provide IT resources and support for hundreds of additional users such as contractors, architects, project managers and other individuals from our partner community,” said Muhammad Asad Khalil, Senior Network and Security Engineer for TDIC. TDIC is under the regulatory supervision and audited by The National Electronic Security Authority (NESA), which has implemented the UAE Information Assurance Standards (UAE IAS). This lists 188 security controls in a prioritised approach that must be applied by government bodies and business organisations identified as critical infrastructure. www.intelligentcio.com INTELLIGENTCIO 17