”Zero Trust” at Cairo ICT 2026: Hacker Return to Old Tactics and Warnings Against Absolute Trust in AI
Hacker Tactics: Betting on Organizations' Loss of Security Memory
A panel discussion titled "Zero Trust in the AI Era"—held as part of the Cairo ICT 2026 conference and exhibition—highlighted a traditional-yet-recurring tactic used by cybercriminals. Hackers are reverting to old, traditional methods to breach systems, betting that data protection experts are solely focused on modern technologies while overlooking classic threats. Panelists stressed that effective defense requires building a security framework that balances adopting new advancements with maintaining vigilance against legacy attack vectors.
The Zero Trust Principle: Avoiding Complete Reliance on AI
The session, moderated by Ali Sabri (Regional Cybersecurity Director at Cisco), emphasized that applying the "Zero Trust" model demands withholding unconditional trust from AI, as humans remain the primary source feeding it data. Additionally, Mohamed Abdel Halim (CISO at FEDIS) underscored the importance of preparing for errors generated by AI algorithms and thoroughly understanding how these models operate to handle their output safely.
Legislation and Data Protection: Data Classification Law Under Review in Parliament
Sameh Emam (System Engineering Manager for Africa at Forcepoint) noted that maintaining information security requires continuous verification of the accuracy and validity of AI-generated data. Emam highlighted that a Data Classification Law is currently under study in the Egyptian House of Representatives to establish a legal framework for managing and securing data based on its sensitivity levels.
Human Control: AI Only Protects What It Can See
Eng. Mohamed Tantawy (IT Infrastructure Director at the National Bank of Egypt) stated that AI tools are incapable of protecting data outside their scope of visibility. He emphasized the need to deploy precise "sensors" and ensure human teams retain control and monitoring oversight to prevent sensitive data leaks.
The Future of AI: Domain-Specific Specializations and Specialized Languages
Eng. Ashraf Gamal predicted the emergence of specialized niches within AI tailored to specific sectors, where fields such as medicine, engineering, and pharmacy will operate with dedicated datasets and terminology. He added that under a "Zero Trust" framework, AI outputs and analytical results will naturally vary from one organization to another based on the nature of their business and operational environment.
