Dubai and Microsoft launch real-time cyber resilience dashboard for government entities

Dubai’s cyber security authorities are taking another step toward continuous cyber resilience monitoring by launching a real-time zero-trust assurance dashboard developed by the Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC) in collaboration with Microsoft . Unveiled at GISEC Global 2026, the platform gives DESC a live view of the cyber security posture of Dubai government entities, enabling continuous oversight of compliance with the Dubai Information Security Regulation (ISR) and helping organisations identify and remediate security gaps faster. The initiative reflects a broader shift across the UAE public sector towards proactive cyber risk management as government entities accelerate digital transformation programmes, cloud adoption and artificial intelligence (AI) deployments. Traditionally, compliance with government security frameworks has relied on periodic assessments and self-reported audits, providing only a snapshot of an organisation’s security posture at a specific point in time. The new dashboard aims to replace that model with continuous monitoring, giving regulators and government entities access to near real-time insights into cyber risk exposure. Developed jointly by DESC and Microsoft, the platform maps security telemetry from Microsoft environments against the requirements of Dubai’s ISR framework, which defines minimum information security standards across 13 domains for government organisations. The dashboard aggregates security signals from participating entities and translates them into measurable evidence aligned with ISR controls. Monitored areas include identity security, multi-factor authentication adoption, conditional access implementation, privileged account management, device compliance, active security incidents and vulnerability management. Each finding on the platform includes remediation guidance designed to help government IT teams understand the issue, assess its impact and take corrective action. Guidance can be exported in both Arabic and English, supporting adoption across the diverse government landscape. According to DESC, the platform currently monitors 37 different categories of security findings. “Strengthening cyber resilience requires visibility that is timely, measurable and actionable,” said H.E. Amer Sharaf, CEO of cyber security systems and services sector at DESC. “By bringing together evidence from the security controls already operating across participating government entities, this initiative helps us strengthen oversight while giving entity teams clearer guidance on the actions required to address identified gaps.” The dashboard is built around zero-trust security principles, a model increasingly adopted by governments and enterprises worldwide. Rather than assuming users, devices or applications can be trusted by default, zero-trust requires continuous verification of identity, access rights and security posture. For Microsoft, the project highlights the growing role technology providers are playing in helping governments operationalise cyber security frameworks. “Cyber resilience cannot rely on point-in-time visibility,” said Amr Kamel, general manager of Microsoft UAE. “As governments operate increasingly connected digital environments, security needs to be continuously measurable, actionable and built into how those environments are managed.” The project arrives amid growing cyber security investment across the UAE, where both federal and local government authorities have made cyber resilience a strategic priority. The UAE continues to rank among the world’s most digitally advanced governments, with initiatives spanning smart city programmes, digital public services, cloud-first strategies and national AI adoption plans. However, increasing digitisation has also expanded the attack surface available to cyber criminals, prompting greater investment in cyber defence capabilities, security operations centres, regulatory frameworks and workforce development. Dubai, in particular, has strengthened its cyber security governance through DESC, which plays a central role in setting security standards, coordinating cyber resilience efforts and supporting government entities across the emirate. The organisation has also been a strong advocate of zero-trust architectures and continuous assurance models as public sector systems become increasingly interconnected. The Microsoft collaboration builds on an established relationship between the two organisations. Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 have previously achieved certification against DESC’s cloud service provider security standard, while the company operates cloud regions in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai to support data residency and regulatory requirements. The announcement was made during GISEC Global 2026, one of the Middle East’s largest cyber security events. The exhibition has become a key platform for regional governments, technology suppliers and security professionals to showcase new cyber defence initiatives and discuss emerging threats, ranging from ransomware and supply chain attacks to AI-enabled cyber risks. Following an initial pilot phase, two Dubai government entities have already been onboarded to the dashboard, with DESC planning a broader roll-out across more than 80 additional government organisations throughout the emirate. 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