Rabat – Kaspersky, under the aegis of Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, held the KNext Rabat 2025 conference today, bringing together leading experts and professionals to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the future of cybersecurity.
The event was held at Hotel Dawliz Rabat & Spa, focusing on the latest trends and challenges in digital security with a strong emphasis on how AI is transforming both defense and attack strategies in cyberspace.
“A new era for cybersecurity”
Youssef Bentaleb, President of the Moroccan Center for Polytechnic Research and Innovation (CMRPI), told Morocco World News (MWN) that “this year’s KNext edition comes at a time when AI has reached an unprecedented level of sophistication.”
He explained that “cybercriminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to carry out complex attacks on information systems,” calling it “a major challenge for cybersecurity professionals who must now learn how to use the same technology to strengthen defenses.”
Bentaleb added that the conference “serves as both a debate and a knowledge platform to present the latest technologies that help increase system maturity and address vulnerabilities that must be updated continuously.”
Morocco’s growing cyber threat landscape
Pascal Nodin, Head of Enterprise Solutions at Kaspersky for North, West, and Central Africa, told MWN: “In the first half of 2025 alone, Kaspersky detected over 21 million cyber threats targeting mainly our clients in Morocco.”
According to him, “these clients have largely been protected because they followed best practices and properly configured our solutions, which means they are relatively well shielded from attacks.”
Nodin also noted that Kaspersky detected 21 million threats targeting clients in Morocco in the first half of 2025. He emphasized the importance of raising awareness about these cyber threats to enable organizations to take proactive measures and strengthen their defenses.
KNext Rabat “is also an awareness initiative; we want to ensure that Moroccan companies understand the scale of the threat and how to respond proactively,” he added.
Experts call for continuous adaptation
Erroussafi Elmehdi, AI and cybersecurity expert at CMRPI, said during his intervention that “the speed at which AI technologies evolve requires organizations to constantly adapt and anticipate threats rather than react after incidents.”
He noted that “AI-driven systems such as deep learning models and autonomous agents can be used both to protect and to attack, which is why understanding them is key for national and corporate resilience.”
The conference also featured practical demonstrations by Moroccan and international experts, including sessions led by Achraf Bousselham and Samy Tadjine on advanced detection systems (SIEM, XDR, SOAR) and incident response mechanisms.
Kaspersky representatives stressed the company’s continued commitment to supporting Morocco’s digital transformation efforts and strengthening collaboration with public and private institutions to enhance cyber readiness across all sectors.
In recent years, Morocco has steadily expanded its national cybersecurity framework to keep pace with rapid digitalization across public and private sectors.
As government services, financial systems, and industrial infrastructures move increasingly online, the country faces growing exposure to sophisticated cyber threats.
Authorities have strengthened partnerships with global technology firms and launched several national initiatives to enhance digital resilience and data protection. The creation of the General Directorate for Information Systems Security (DGSSI) and the adoption of Morocco’s National Cybersecurity Strategy reflect this proactive stance.
Yet, experts warn that the rise of AI-driven attacks, phishing campaigns, and ransomware incidents demands continuous investment in awareness, technology, and workforce training to safeguard Morocco’s digital ecosystem.
