Seeing cyber risk from outside with Censys

Censys's debut at GISEC highlights the rapid pace of cybersecurity adoption in the UAE as cloud, AI and digital infrastructure evolve. The region is strategically important for Censys, which seeks to provide organizations with an outside perspective on Internet visibility. Traditional security approaches are inadequate due to the increasing distribution, interconnectivity and dynamism of infrastructure.

Attackers operate from the outside-in, discovering exposed infrastructure, third-party dependencies and shadow assets that internal security visibility alone cannot detect.

Operation Digital Shield, a Censys initiative, reveals the Internet-facing risks faced by governments and critical infrastructure operators in the UAE. The operation identified around 134,000 Internet-exposed ICS hosts, with 70% of them on consumer and mobile networks. By providing continuous, Internet-wide visibility, public-private partnerships can significantly reduce cyber risks. For example, Censys collaborated with the EPA to expose and remediate over 94% of exposed water systems within a year.

Censys ARC is a tool that helps security teams understand emerging threats and the infrastructure adversaries use. Traditional threat intelligence relies on indicators like IP addresses or domains, but adversaries rapidly change infrastructure. Censys ARC takes an Internet-wide approach, studying patterns, malware, vulnerabilities and adversary behavior to provide defenders with a broader understanding of infrastructure. This context is crucial as security operations become more automated and AI-driven.

In 2026, the UAE can expect AI to significantly impact the cyber threat landscape, accelerating both attack activity and the growth of Internet-facing infrastructure. With over 294,000 IP addresses exposing AI or LLM tools, organizations must adopt continuous visibility to secure their infrastructure. AI technologies, such as MCP servers and agent frameworks, are increasingly connecting AI more deeply into enterprise systems and data, necessitating ongoing visibility to manage risk effectively.