An international conference in the field of fighting cyber crime is to be held at the beginning of November in Riyadh, said Director of the National Center for Electronic Security (NCES) Saleh Al-Mutairi.
The conference is to provide proposals and ideas that will contribute to the advancement of cyber information security.
During the opening of the first national security Forum in Riyadh on Monday, Al-Mutairi said it was held in light of the growing escalation of cyber attacks targeting government and private establishments in the Kingdom. These aim to damage national interests and sabotage the information infrastructure, disrupt communications networks and services and hack websites to steal data.
Al-Mutairi further explained that this forum came about due to the government’s need to develop standardization and secure information systems and communications networks in the Kingdom. This need also instigated a Royal Decree to establish the NCES under the umbrella of the Ministry of Interior. The center is responsible for national standards, rules and regulations to protect the information infrastructure. This is to combat cyber attacks of all types and to address damages and investigate them.
The NCES is to work on the development of a legal regulatory system related to cyber security crimes. It should develop careers in the field of information security and encourage relevant scientific research. The center should adopt the best international standards in the field of cyber safety. It is to activate international cooperation in the field of information exchange, and the coordination of responses to any breach of security on a national level. In addition, the center should facilitate the flow of information exchange and security warnings between different sectors.
Al-Mutairi said that to achieve these goals requires a sense of shared responsibility. The center’s role is to coordinate with the authorities to ensure early warnings and a quick response to electronic attacks and a commitment to the regulations and standards set up for the protection and exchange of information in both the public and private sector.
The program director of the NCES said that the center would not interfere in the infrastructure of organizations, because their own experts will handle that, as they are most familiar with the particular infrastructure and networks. However, the center will provide the necessary support for these organizations to protect their own infrastructure.
The World Telecom Federation has pinpointed the possibility of cyber threats coming from disgruntled former employees working in the field of digital infrastructure, or political or organized crime extremists or groups of hackers.
Only national and international intelligence and defense units could repel attacks or threats from foreign intelligence. Hence, the Ministry of Interior was advised to build a center to protect the national electronic security.
The center’s program director also said there are significant challenges in building capabilities and laying the groundwork necessary to the center and upgrading methods of how to address cyber attacks.
He said 50 percent of similar centers in Europe have only been established around two to three years ago. Specifications for the construction of these centers and the protection of global digital infrastructure are yet to be completed.
Riyadh conference to tackle cyber security challenges
