Dr. Najwa Aaraj Appointed Senior Vice President of Special Projects at DarkMatter

ABU DHABI and DUBAI, UAE, May 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

• New role will see her continue to focus on identification and development of new security technologies  

DarkMatter, an international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE, announces the appointment of Dr. Najwa Aaraj as the Senior Vice President - Special Projects, having previously served as the Vice President of the business unit. Special Projects falls under the CEO's Office, and is responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities, providing new security and technology tools to the company and focusing on research.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160508/803069 )

Dr. Aaraj was one of the earliest appointments to DarkMatter's senior management team in 2014, and in her role as Vice President she oversaw the development and commercial introduction of a number of Secure Communications applications, including DarkMatter's Secure Voice and Chat offering.

Prior to joining DarkMatter Dr. Aaraj worked in Booz & Company, where she led consulting engagements in the communication and technology industry for clients across four continents. Prior to that, she held several research positions, including Research Fellow with IBM T. J. Watson Security Research in New York, and with the Intel Security Research Group in Portland, Oregon. She also was a Research Staff Member at NEC Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey.

Reflecting the scope of her research and professional accomplishments, Dr. Aaraj has a number of publications and patents to her name, which include a patent for "Optimising Performance of Integrity Monitoring" and more than half a dozen papers.

In her new role at DarkMatter, Dr. Aaraj will continue to be involved in evaluating and customising secure product architecture; designing and setting up special projects related to authentication and cryptology systems; and overseeing the development and operation of DarkMatter's test and validation labs.

Commenting on the promotion, Faisal Al Bannai, Chief Executive Officer of DarkMatter said, "Najwa has been with us right from the very beginning and we are hugely grateful for her commitment, enthusiasm, and obvious talent. Part of the journey with DarkMatter was always going to be about believing in the company's vision, and Najwa was one of the earliest converts."

Faisal Al Bannai continued, "Najwa's increased responsibilities are well deserved given the hard work and success she has already achieved in delivering projects to our clients. Our Secure Communications portfolio, amongst other solutions, has been well received and I look forward to Najwa continuing to driving success in her engagements."

The Special Projects unit within DarkMatter looks to foster inter-departmental collaboration, and aside from Secure Communications it also involved in the setting up of the company's Crypto Programme, its Test and Validation Labs, and the development of new (secure) technologies.

Dr. Aaraj said, "It has been an exciting and fulfilling journey with DarkMatter so far. I am so impressed by the progress we have all been able to achieve in a relatively short period of time, and I would like to thank my colleagues for their support throughout. We are only at the beginning of having a profound impact on how cyber security is regarded and implemented in the UAE and further afield and I look forward to building a legacy we can all be proud about having had a part in establishing."

Dr. Aaraj holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Princeton University, having earned a Master of Science Degree in Computer and Information Systems Security / Information Assurance also from the prestigious institution. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer and Communications Engineering from the American University in Beirut.

Already a trusted partner to governments and security sensitive entities, DarkMatter is staffed by tier one international cyber experts who develop, manage and deploy the most innovative technologies. Solutions adhere to the company's Cyber Security Life-Cycle, which incorporates a four-stage approach involving planning, detection, protection and recovery, and reinforces its secure business solutions.

DarkMatter is leveraging this experience in the wider market as it looks to serve regional and international clients. The company provides a complete portfolio of cyber security solutions and services to organisations that have sophisticated security requirements, from governments and infrastructure operators to large corporations.

About DarkMatter

DarkMatter is a company that is transforming the cyber security landscape by providing a complete range of state-of-the-art services and solutions to governments and commercial clients. Its end-to-end expertise extends to:

Governance, Risk and Compliance

We work with public and private entities in all verticals to audit and assess their performance against regulatory standards, helping identify gaps and meet obligations.

Cyber Network Defence

Our elite team of cyber experts, engaged across all competencies and functions, tasked with identifying and responding to the most advanced threats, threat actors, and cyber attacks.

Managed Security Services

We offer a remote monitoring remediation and resolution service that puts the full capabilities and resources of the DarkMatter organisation at the service of our MSS teams. Whether you need a SOC built and operated from scratch or you need assistance in upgrading what you currently have in place, DarkMatter can provide assistance.

Secure Communications

DarkMatter's Secure Communications Suite protects fixed and mobile voice, video, chat, email, file sharing, data communication, as well as device management across various platforms and operating systems.

Infrastructure and System Integration

This area underpins our professional services offering for governments and corporations, providing applications, services and solutions that ensure our clients remain at the forefront of cyber security.

Smart Solutions

We offer a comprehensive security suite of services comprising elements of protection for both homes and businesses: The Connected and Secure Home & Office; Technical Surveillance and Countermeasures; Mobile Peace of Mind; and Trusted Hardware supply.

Staffed by global experts and headquartered in the UAE, DarkMatter provides peace of mind through consulting and project implementations that are scalable to clients of any size and that address any domain of cyber security threat or risk. As a trusted partner to governments and critical infrastructure entities, the firm also works with leading global companies operating in the field of electronic and cyber security.

Agile and innovative, DarkMatter takes a comprehensive approach to helping its clients navigate the complex and ever-evolving world of threat and risk mitigation strategies, tools, policies and systems.

http://www.darkmatter.ae

SOURCE DarkMatter