General Michael Hayden, United States Air Force (USAF), Retired, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Deputy Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) is the keynote speaker at Black Hat Abu Dhabi. He will share his insights on "cyber security and cyber threats in a changing world".

Black Hat, the world's leading information security conference, will take place from the 12th to 15th December 2011 at Emirates Palace.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) - represented by the UAE Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT) - in cooperation with Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR) and UBM are responsible for bringing Black Hat to the Middle East for the second year in a row.

H.E. Mohammed Al Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General, TRA, and aeCERT said, "We are extremely pleased to have General Hayden as the keynote speaker for Black Hat Abu Dhabi 2011; as security continues to be at the top of the list of priorities for enterprises and governments in the region, his experience in running two of the most well respected security agencies in the world will provide invaluable insight to CIOs in the region."

General Michael Hayden, Ret. served as Director of the CIA (2006-2009) and Deputy Director of National Intelligence (2005-2006). He was also appointed to the post of Director of the NSA from 1999-2005 by President Clinton. As the Director of the US keystone intelligence-gathering agencies, he was on the frontline of geopolitical strife and the war on terrorism at a time when communication underwent a revolution. He understands the potential dangers, risks, and rewards associated with the political and economic climates, and security situations facing the world.

Black Hat Abu Dhabi will offer a full range of sessions, including ten training programs, followed by three briefing sessions running simultaneously to the exhibition. The two days of briefings will discuss and demonstrate the latest and most important security issues facing the market today.