QNA
Doha
Since its inception, the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) has developed policies, initiatives and projects that are compatible with the changing cyber challenges and has worked extensively with state institutions to strengthen their cyber defences by responding to incidents and proactively monitoring threats, NCSA President Engineer Abdul Rahman bin Ali Al Farahid Al Maliki has stressed.
He said the agency has also developed national policies, frameworks, as well as specialised awareness and training workshops.
In his opening remarks at the opening of the International Symposium on Cybersecurity in Industry, hosted by the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), Maliki said, "The world is witnessing rapid transformations in the field of cybersecurity today, as cyberattacks have become more complex and dangerous.”
He pointed out that these threats are not limited to data seizure or electronic fraud, but rather extend to acts of sabotage and disruption of national infrastructure that can directly affect vital sectors such as energy, health, transportation and finance, which require everyone, individuals and institutions to be highly prepared and alerted.
He added that raising the cybersecurity level in industries requires an applicable and measurable strategy and implementation plan, pointing out that the second national strategy for cybersecurity, expected to be launched this year, has paid great attention to unifying efforts with various state institutions, which will contribute to achieving the desired goals comprehensively and nationwide.
The NCSA president explained that the academic sector has an essential role in preparing and qualifying graduates to understand contemporary challenges and prepare them to engage in the labour market quickly and to work on developing the required programmes and initiatives.
He pointed out that protecting the vital information infrastructure was one of the most prominent topics addressed by the national strategy for cybersecurity, and relevant initiatives and performance indicators have been developed for it. It is also considered one of the most prominent topics that require the efforts of various state institutions to work jointly to achieve it.
He added that one of the significant strategic initiatives undertaken by the NCSA is cooperation with regulators of vital sectors such as the electricity and water sector, by developing a road map to raise the level of cybersecurity for members of the sector and issuing joint recommendations between the agency and the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) in adopting the ISO standard for industrial control systems as a national standard and implementing training courses on how to adopt this standard for more than 60 members of this sector’s specialists.
"The challenge we face is not limited to just protecting against cyberattacks, but also includes maintaining trust and transparency in building a strong and comprehensive cyber system. Therefore, the compliance and assurance programmes carried out by the NCSA contribute significantly to bridging this gap through the cybersecurity service providers’ accreditation program and Qatari Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement, which examines devices and applications and ensures that they meet local and international security standards, and follows the needs of the various vital sectors in the country,” Engineer Maliki said.