Malta investment insights: CyberSift CEO Brian Zarb Adami

CyberSift is a boutique IT solutions company with a focus on cybersecurity, complemented with a wide variety of skills in specialised software, bespoke development and cloud services. It was founded by Brian Zarb Adami, a CISAcertified Information Systems Auditor and a PRINCE2 Project Manager.

CyberSift provides solutions for enterprises looking to bolster their cyber defence capabilities, underpinned by artificial intelligence technology and machine learning. As AI develops at breakneck speed, how can businesses deploy it to their advantage?

When we decided to employ machine learning and artificial intelligence in the application of cybersecurity, we did so more out of necessity than because we were interested in the field. We were faced with a situation where we couldn’t find the correct talent in the field and realised that companies were being faced with a huge problem in the form of a deluge of security information that one would have to manually process to understand whether their organisation was exposed to any threats or even under attack. We therefore decided to move away from traditional detection and use the automated methods that artificial intelligence offers to help us swiftly identify information security threats, understand them and help customers respond in a timely fashion.

Likewise, businesses should aim to use artificial intelligence to automate the mundane heavy lifting, leaving more time for humans to work on value-add workstreams and improve outcomes.

Malta has an established ICT sector, as well as being a hub of iGaming and financial services, both of which require highly specialised technical solutions. How has CyberSift’s development interacted with this ecosystem?

I can proudly say that we have the lion’s share of customers in the financial services space. The maturity of the sector and the requirement for such organisations to keep enhancing their cyber resilience resulted in many seeking a reliable organisation with whom to continue to evolve and enhance their information security.

Entrepreneurs looking at Malta must understand that organisations found within the country are relatively small when compared to larger European countries. This is not a bad thing, but it does make it harder to gain real enterprise-level experience when the company aspires to playing at such levels on an international scale.

Very early on in our life we came to the realisation that Malta is a good proving ground for the concept, but we would need to move abroad for the international-level client exposure we wanted.

Running a global digital operation requires top-notch digital infrastructure. How well-developed is Malta in this respect? Is it feasible to operate a sensitive worldwide online business from Malta?

I think that Malta is well-developed in this area, mainly due to the influx of iGaming companies on the island and the requirement to serve global markets. The infrastructure that we have is sound and resilient, and it is very easy for companies to offer their digital services by hosting locally. Of course, being an island, there is a compelling case for one to also have resilience and disaster recovery outside of the island because at the end of the day we depend on the interconnections that we have. However, such disruptions are few and far between. Malta is definitely a sound platform from which to offer online services worldwide.

This feature was first carried in the Malta Invest 2024 edition. Malta Invest is the first-ever comprehensive international investment guide focusing on Malta as a destination. It is produced by Content House Group.