CQR Launches FENNEC: A Saudi-Built, AI-Powered OT Cybersecurity Platform Reducing Compliance Burden by Up to 90%

Locally built and nationally aligned, FENNEC delivers AI-powered visibility and real-time OT security

RIYADH, SA / ACCESS Newswire / November 30, 2025 / CQR, a Saudi-headquartered cybersecurity firm specializing in operational technology (OT), has unveiled FENNEC, a next-generation platform engineered to safeguard the industrial backbone of Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Designed and built locally, FENNEC is the first OT-native platform to merge full-stack visibility with embedded AI monitoring, enabling asset owners to reduce compliance workload by as much as 90%.

Launched at a moment when regional infrastructure operators face expanding cyber threats and increasingly complex regulatory expectations, FENNEC addresses a longstanding gap in the market: traditional IT tools remain ill-equipped to secure legacy industrial systems that power oil and gas fields, water utilities, logistics hubs, and manufacturing plants. CQR's new platform delivers a Saudi-engineered, end-to-end solution tailored specifically for the realities of OT environments, integrating compliance automation, advanced threat detection, protocol-aware monitoring, and risk management inside a single modular system.

"This is exactly the kind of cyber-physical innovation our region needs-technology that understands the local environment and is capable of meeting it with precision," said Shane Shin, Founding Partner at Shorooq. "FENNEC isn't just a tool-it's a strategic advantage for the operators securing our most vital infrastructure."

A key differentiator for FENNEC is its deep alignment with national and international cybersecurity mandates. The platform natively supports NCA OTCC, Aramco's SAEP-99, IEC 62443, and ISO 27001 standards, eliminating the need for costly customization. Through bilingual audit reporting, automated evidence collection, and pre-configured policy templates, operators can achieve full visibility into compliance gaps across zones and assets from day one. This built-in compliance architecture is central to reducing audit preparation and ongoing regulatory obligations-areas that historically required extensive manual effort.

Unlike conventional IT-centric monitoring systems, FENNEC was built exclusively for OT and industrial IoT (IIoT). The platform discovers and reports vulnerabilities across software, firmware, and connected devices that are often invisible to IT tools, giving asset owners insight into previously unidentified risks. Its embedded design also enables zero-trust enforcement and micro-segmentation without requiring additional hardware or forcing production downtime-a critical advantage in sectors where operational continuity is non-negotiable.

FENNEC's AI Monitoring and SOC Modules further extend protection with continuous detection and response capabilities for both connected and air-gapped environments. Alerts are automatically correlated and mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK for ICS framework, enhanced by AI-generated root cause analysis and recommended response actions. Importantly, all telemetry remains fully under the customer's control, ensuring compliance with national data sovereignty mandates.

The platform has already completed pilots across energy and industrial facilities in Saudi Arabia, where early results indicate substantial gains: operators reported up to 90% reductions in audit preparation time, faster mean-time-to-detection, and improved coordination between IT and OT security teams-two functions that traditionally operate in silos.

SOURCE: Shorooq