National Cyber Security Centre & Kaspersky Labs Join to Elevate Cybersecurity Consciousness in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia, is co-presenting a cybersecurity forum with Kaspersky Lab, targeted towards building awareness and preparation levels, particularly within the public sector in the Kingdom.
The one-day summit in Riyadh, designed to bring the national cybersecurity mandate and priorities within the Saudi Vision 2030 to life, took more than 150 participants from 50 different organizations through sessions and panel discussions. To provide a broad appreciation of the threats and challenges facing all organizations, the summit is a strategic step towards building a culture of cybersecurity consciousness across all areas of public sector organizations, ultimately enabling the government to build towards a digital, smart – and secure – future.
Online communication and collaboration is a key aspect of life and business in the Saudi Kingdom. According to the NCSC, cyberspace has become a key enabler for Saudi Arabia’s continued prosperity and vital to achieving the Kingdom’s 2030 vision.
Being one of the most technologically advanced countries in the region, the kingdom has always been the main cyber-target. A recent study entitled Kaspersky IT Security Survey 2017 showed that Almost 60% of Saudi Arabia organizations had experienced virus and malware incidents in the last 12 months.
While 41% of the respondents agree that they lack sufficient insight and intelligence on the threats specifically faced by their organization, targeted attacks have always been a concern for organizations in the Kingdom, where 21% of organizations experienced such in the past 12 months. At the same time, 41% of the respondents believe that their organizations need better tools to detect and respond to advanced persistent threats (APTs) and targeted attacks.
Dr. Abbad Al Abbad, Strategic Development and Communications Executive Director at NCSC said: “Our goals as an organization are focused towards improving the cybersecurity readiness and capabilities of the Government sector, including critical national infrastructure, as well as developing and formalizing the internal capabilities around cybersecurity within the Kingdom. This Summit, together with Kaspersky Lab, essentially enables the leadership and IT experts at Saudi public sector organizations to learn from strong innovators in the space, within the context of the Saudi National Vision 2030.”
Maxim Frolov, Managing Director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at Kaspersky Lab, said: “Seeing a public sector entity taking the lead in preparing and equipping other public sector entities with the cybersecurity consciousness they need is extremely positive, and something we at Kaspersky Lab believe many countries can learn from Saudi Arabia. The summit demonstrated the great strides that public sector organizations are making in their digital transformation journeys, with the ultimate objective of being aligned with the Government’s strategic and futuristic plan.”
Analysts IDC have highlighted the digitization that will play a major role in achieving the Saudi Vision 2030. From automation and integration between diverse systems and even sectors to the emergence of transformational technologies, the foundational requirement across all of these is the security layer, awareness, and organizational preparedness. Cybersecurity is a key consideration for all organizations in their digital transformation journeys. A uniform implementation and readiness level will provide a solid foundation for building more strategic undertakings at the national level.
The NCSC is leading this educational transition through its role as advisor, expert, and protector. By partnering with Kaspersky Lab, the NCSC is continuing its strategic mission of building and sustaining public and private engagements and partnerships for the necessary transfer of knowledge, expertise towards realizing the Saudi vision and the national transformation plan.
