In this Q&A, Sujoy Banerjee, Associate Director at ManageEngine, discusses the evolving cybersecurity landscape in the Middle East, the company’s unified approach to cyber defence, and how AI is playing a transformative role in both prevention and response.
As cyber threats grow more sophisticated and digital transformation accelerates, organisations across the Middle East are under mounting pressure to modernise their security infrastructure. From talent shortages and ransomware-as-a-service to the rapid shift to the cloud, the region faces a unique combination of challenges—and opportunities.
At the forefront of helping businesses navigate this landscape is ManageEngine, the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation.
At GISEC 2025, we spoke with Sujoy Banerjee, Associate Director at ManageEngine, to discuss the company’s unified approach to cybersecurity, its AI-driven solutions, and how it’s enabling enterprises to move from reactive to proactive defence. In this wide-ranging conversation, Banerjee shares insights on the state of security in the region, ManageEngine’s latest innovations, and the real-world impact of AI on enterprise resilience.
What are some of the most pressing cybersecurity challenges currently facing organisations across the Middle East?
Currently, the region faces an ongoing shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals; organisations are struggling to build robust internal teams that can effectively handle today’s complex threat environment.
Additionally, there is a rapid pace of cloud adoption. At the same time, this brings operational benefits; it has also introduced new layers of security risk, especially when systems and tools are fragmented.
Lastly, cyber threats themselves are becoming more sophisticated. We’re seeing a rise in ransomware-as-a-service and other advanced threats, which are now a constant across the region.
As a result, organisations are under pressure to move from a reactive stance to a more proactive one—where they can anticipate, identify, and contain threats before they escalate.
ManageEngine has recently enhanced its unified PAM solution with AI capabilities. Could you tell us more about that?
AI isn’t something we’ve just recently adopted—it’s been part of our journey for over a decade. At ManageEngine and our parent company, Zoho Corporation, we recognised early that AI would be essential to the future of enterprise security.
What sets us apart is that our AI is entirely home-grown. There are no third-party integrations or outsourced components. It’s all developed in-house, meaning we have complete control over how it’s embedded into our products.
This allows us to build full-stack AI capabilities directly into our PAM, SIEM, and endpoint management solutions. The AI features are not bolt-ons—they are integral to the product, helping users with everything from behavioural threat detection to intelligent automation of security policies.
How is this AI integration reshaping security operations for your customers?
We’ve structured our AI approach around three key pillars: simulation, detection, and architecture. First, we simulate various threat scenarios so organisations are better prepared.
Then, we focus on real-time detection, using both behavioural and traditional methods. Finally, we integrate these capabilities into a cohesive cybersecurity architecture.
This approach enables organisations to anticipate risks, automate responses, and make intelligence-led decisions faster. The AI isn’t just flagging alerts—it’s helping to prioritise threats, recommend actions, and ensure faster containment. And because these features are built into our full cybersecurity suite, organisations get a seamless, unified experience.
What was ManageEngine’s key message at GISEC this year in terms of addressing these challenges?
Our main message has been the importance of adopting a unified security platform. With cyber threats becoming increasingly complex, having isolated tools and siloed data no longer works.
Organisations need a platform that brings together intelligence-led predictions, real-time threat detection, and rapid mitigation—under one roof. It is what ManageEngine is focused on delivering.
Our cybersecurity suite integrates everything from SIEM and PAM to endpoint management, providing businesses with a comprehensive view of their threat landscape powered by AI-driven insights.
With AI being viewed both as a potential risk and a powerful enabler, how is it helping enterprises strengthen their infrastructure?
We see AI as a significant enabler. At ManageEngine, we offer over 60 enterprise products, and we are embedding AI capabilities across all of them—not just within cybersecurity.
Recently, we launched an AI-driven agent behaviour feature that is now active across our product suite, including helpdesk, IT operations, and identity management tools. But more importantly, we’re not using AI as a marketing term or gimmick. Our goal is to help organisations enhance productivity, improve decision-making, and streamline operations.
For example, in cybersecurity, these AI features are helping organisations better understand threat patterns, respond faster, and manage risk more efficiently. Across other domains, they’re automating repetitive tasks and providing intelligent insights that make teams more effective.
Ultimately, our focus is on building AI that works in the real world—helping our customers meet the evolving demands of both business and security.
