New York-based healthcare IoT cyber-security firm Cylera has partnered with Oman telco Omantel to expand in the Middle East.

Omantel plays a significant role in the development and digital transformation of Oman. It contributes to the country’s economic growth by facilitating communication, connectivity and digital services for businesses, individuals, retail and government entities. Its services are crucial for Oman’s social and economic progress.

The partnership will further cement Cylera’s position in the Middle East and increase its market reach, following the rollouts of its cyber-security and asset management platform, and its patented technologies in the USA, UK and Europe.

Together, Omantel and Cylera will deliver products and services designed to support the rapid digitalisation of healthcare in Oman, a region that will see eleven new hospitals built and upgraded over the next two years.

Global healthcare’s critical infrastructure is digitalising at pace as demand grows for better patient care and services. In 2020, it was estimated that 646 million new and legacy devices worldwide were connected to hospital networks, with tens of thousands more added each year. This uptake in IoT and IoMT (internet of medical things) is contributing to the complexity of hospitals’ digital estates and expanding their online attack surface, driving the need for better management and visibility of devices on the network to reduce cyber-security risk and streamline patient care.

“The increased global usage of IoT and IoMT in healthcare settings is critical to helping improve patient care and safety,” said Timur Ozekcin, CEO of Cylera. “However, with these organisations being a continued focus for cyber crime, hospitals must be able to view and map their entire connected landscape including their unmanaged and unknown devices, to efficiently assess risk while also being able to deliver the best in service.”

Cylera’s platform provides a centralised dashboard for IT teams to view, profile, manage and risk assess their entire connected environment in one platform. Its partnership with Omantel will combine the telecommunication giant’s data analysis capabilities and approach to digital transformation with Cylera’s healthcare cyber-security technologies to bring enterprise management for complex connected environments.

“This is a partnership which will greatly enhance the cyber security of growing connected environments and continue to enable the rapid digitalisation occurring in Oman, positioning the country as a world-leader in healthcare,” said Aladdin Bait Fadhil, chief commercial officer at Omantel. “Adding Cylera’s ground-breaking technologies to our existing class-leading product portfolio will further strengthen our offering in Oman’s medical space, delivering the most advanced digital healthcare to the region.”

Ozekcin added: “Cylera is honoured to be working closely with Omantel. With the continued investment in critical infrastructure in the region, Oman is an exciting market for Cylera to be operating in and is playing a pivotal role in our ambitious global expansion plans.”