Launch of the 5th Gulf Conference and Exhibition for Cybersecurity Challenges
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 5: “The partnership between the government and Google Cloud ushers in international companies that will provide various services, employ Kuwaitis, and transfer their expertise to local workers and systems,” says Minister of State for Communication Affairs Omar Al- Omar.
This is the minister’s response to the query of the newspaper following the opening of the Fifth Gulf Conference for Cybersecurity Challenges on Tuesday when he delivered a speech on behalf of the sponsor of the conference -- acting Prime Minister and Defense and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah. Kuwait is hosting the conference with the theme, “A Secure Digital Environment”. Al-Omar affirmed that the Google Cloud project is moving forward as planned. He said “The Google Cloud data center will be established within two years at the latest.
Contracts related to the project have been signed and are in the process of being implemented. Most of these contracts are governmental.” He explained that government data are categorized and kept in a unique manner, which complies with data privacy laws. “Google Cloud is not a remedy for this problem, as it is rather a component of a larger system since it will offer services to the public and private sectors, as well as clients outside Kuwait,” he added.
The newspaper also inquired about merging the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) and the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT). The minister confirmed “There is a study on several parties, the purpose of which is to make the work simpler and easier.
This move is not to merge the two institutions per se.” Considering the short and long-term solutions, he pointed out there are steps to improve the postal sector as a whole. “The postal project will be presented in the future through the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP), much like the fixed communications network development,” he elaborated.
He also emphasized the significance of the event in analyzing and debating cyber issues, policies, strategies, and global concerns about risks and threats. He revealed the goal of the conference is to bring together the representatives and stakeholders from the public, commercial and academic sectors who are interested in cybersecurity and digital safety issues to present the best technical services and solutions and share knowledge to combat the growing number of cyberattacks. He added the conference aims to discuss the risks and threats that countries and societies are facing in the field of cybersecurity, as well as the mechanisms for cooperation to confront them, curb their spread, and review the experiences of various countries and the progress they have made in cybersecurity and smart digital transformation.
He confirmed that the political leadership is focusing on such conferences due to the importance of their outputs and recommendations, through which policies and precautionary measures are established to protect cyberspace and make it safer and more stable for users. He expressed his appreciation and gratitude to all participants for their interest in this conference, organized by the Kuwait National Cybersecurity Center. He praised the efforts of the organizing body and all those behind the success of this event.
On the other hand, President of Kuwait National Cyber Security Center retired Major General Mohammed Bouarki stated that cybersecurity is currently one of the most important elements of national security, especially since most of the productive and service sectors have shifted to digital Bouarki explained that the concept of cybersecurity and its procedures are an approach to securing the information infrastructure and important technological systems managing the country’s vital facilities. He underscored the need for concerted efforts to provide all the means to maintain cybersecurity in institutions, bodies and vital sectors.
He added that the center is keen on supporting the cybersecurity system; hence, the issuance of the National Framework for Cybersecurity Governance, which includes policies for the governance of standards and procedures to protect the country from cyber threats and to deal with these threats efficiently; while ensuring the sustainability of work, national security and the safety of people, property and information from increasing electronic attacks and risks. He said the conference is the continuation of the coordinated efforts of the concerned authorities; so it becomes an important platform for exchanging experiences, reviewing the latest research and technologies, and proposing solutions that contribute to enhancing capabilities and confronting cyber threats. He added the conference discusses the latest digital security technologies with the participation of several high-level international speakers and in the presence of cybersecurity experts from various countries. He pointed out that the aim is to exchange expertise and specialized knowledge in the field of cybersecurity while providing all aspects of international and Gulf cooperation in combating cyber vulnerabilities and threats and raising awareness of government and private institutions on protecting their systems and data from hacking. Secretary General of Kuwait Banking Association (KBA) Dr. Yaqoub Al-Rifai stressed that cybersecurity is a vital axis of national security and it is a necessity; given the continuous development in the use of technology that the whole world is witnessing, and the transformation of financial operations and data from personal to data related to societies and countries.
He affirmed that Kuwaiti banks are exerting tremendous efforts to strengthen cybersecurity. He said these banks improved their infrastructure in this field after decades of accumulated experience. He added the Central Bank of Kuwait, in cooperation with the association, is preparing plans to enhance cybersecurity and information for the banking sector. He revealed a virtual central room has been established to deter and confront financial fraud in order to improve efforts between the banking industry and the concerned official bodies to limit fraud. “This is done through coordination between the Central Bank, the association, Public Prosecution, and the Department for Combating Financial Crimes at the Ministry of Interior. By combining the expertise of the concerned parties, this room helps to achieve more progress in protecting customers from financial fraud,” he added.
By Mohammad Al-Musleh
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
