DUBAI: The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator of financial services conducted in and from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), hosted its Annual Outreach session, drawing more than 500 participants from across the financial services sector. The event underscores the regulator's commitment to enhancing industry collaboration, innovation, and compliance. According to Emirates News Agency, as part of the Annual Outreach, the DFSA announced the publication of its 2024 Cyber Thematic Review, assessing the cybersecurity maturity and resilience of firms operating in, and from, the DIFC. Aligned with the UAE and Dubai Cybersecurity strategies, this Review underscores the Authority's commitment to enhancing cybersecurity standards across the financial sector. While the number of Authorised Firms has surged by 25% between 2022 and 2024, the Review revealed continuing improvement overall in Firms' cybersecurity maturity within DIFC. It examined progress made in Firms' cybe r risk management programmes since the last DFSA's report in 2022 - highlighting emerging good practices, areas of improvement, and actionable recommendations for strengthening defences against evolving cyber threats. Key findings included governance, baseline best practices, and resilience. The DFSA's 2024 Annual Outreach also featured comprehensive updates from the DFSA's Policy, Enforcement, and Authorisation Divisions, providing attendees with insights into the latest regulatory developments, enforcement priorities, and licensing enhancements designed to streamline compliance processes. Additional Supervision focused sessions also took place, focusing on Innovation and Technology, Prudential, Conduct of Business, and Financial Crime Conduct. Justin Baldacchino, Managing Director of Supervision at the DFSA, emphasized the importance of the event, stating, 'Today's Annual Outreach has been a pivotal step in reinforcing trust, transparency, and collaboration within the financial sector.' He noted that cybe rsecurity is central to the DFSA's mission to protect the financial ecosystem within the DIFC and acknowledged the encouraging progress reflected in the latest Review while highlighting the need for firms to further strengthen their defences.