First Accreditation Certificate issued to Information Security Advisory Service Provider

The Compliance and Data Protection (CDP) Department in the Cyber Security Division of Ministry of Transport & Communications (MOTC), today issued its first certificate of accreditation for service providers in the State of Qatar that provides information security advisory services. This award was made on the sidelines of the Qatar IT Conference & Exhibition (QITCOM 2019), which is being held until Nov. 1 under the theme “Safe, Smart Cities” at QNCC, Doha.

The Accreditation Program is part of the National Information Security Compliance Framework (NISCF) which aims to validate and assure security within ICT programs, systems and services, and encourage alignment with good practice for protecting digital infrastructure and data.

NISCF helps to support the achievement of the National Cyber Security Strategy; it complements the State of Qatar’s National Information Assurance Framework (including wider applicable information security legislation, regulation and standards) to establish a safe and vibrant cyberspace.

This Accreditation Certificate, today awarded to Protiviti Member Firm Qatar LLC, is designed for Service Providers who deliver information security consultancy and implementation services to the Public and Private Sector.

A certificate of accreditation is the formal recognition that an organization is competent to perform specific services, activities or tasks in a consistent, reliable and precise manner. It is a cornerstone in improving security within cyberspace by enhancing the quality of cybersecurity services in the State of Qatar.

The Advisory Accreditation helps Accredited Service Providers to build trust with their customers and provides organizations with assurance concerning their accomplishments, or experience, as a trusted advisor.

Accredited Service Providers, such as Protiviti Member Firm Qatar LLC, are integral to supporting Public and Private Sector organizations to achieve compliance certification through alignment with the State of Qatar’s national standards for cyber security.

The issuing of compliance certificates, as part of the national compliance framework, supports the assurance of a consistent application of security best practices by entities in the State of Qatar.
Currently, there are two certification schemes which Accredited Service Providers can support:

• the National Information Assurance (NIA)  Certification for Organizations and Software Security and Quality Assurance (SSQA) Certification for Government E-Services.

The NIA Certification scheme ensures independently audited and validated compliance with the National Information Assurance Policy (NIAP) controls within the context of a clearly defined scope.

Benefits of the NIA certification for organizations include independent confirmation about organization’s security posture, ensuring that the company, assets, shareholders and staff are adequately protected from cyber threats and attacks and providing customers and stakeholders with confidence in how risks are managed among others.

The SSQA certification scheme, underpinned by the SSQA, framework enhances the existing National Information Assurance Policy (NIAP) controls by identifying security controls that should be considered during development activities to create a Secure Systems Development Lifecycle (SSDL).

The SSQA certification provides assurance that government E-Services are developed and deployed with consideration of relevant information security threats and mitigations.

The Advisory service accreditation certificate awarded today to Protiviti Member Firm Qatar LLC, identifies the Service Provider as a competent advisor, capable of assisting organizations in the planning, design and implementation of activities to achieve NIA or SSQA compliance certification.

Commenting on the occasion, Ms. Dana Yousif Al Abdulla, Acting Director of Compliance and Data Protection Dept., Cybersecurity Affairs, MOTC, said “We are delighted to have more accredited service providers joining the national accreditation programs which will extend the trust in the cybersecurity supply chain in Qatar; and, we are extremely pleased that we are able to recognize Protiviti Member Firm Qatar LLC as the first Accredited Service Provider within the advisory service area.”

The accreditation program provides assurance to customers of a service provider’s capabilities and boost both confidence and standards across the industry.

The CDP, and the Accredited Service Providers are at the forefront when working to keep the State of Qatar safe, secure and resilient to cyber-threats and risks facing our increasing digital society.
We are all working together to achieve this aim, and we all have a role in tackling the challenges that the digital society brings. The CDP is leaving no stone unturned as we continue to support the Public and Private Sector to adopt national standards and international best practices.

As we recognize the achievement of Protiviti Member Firm Qatar LLC, and the growing adoption of the National Information Security Compliance Framework accreditation schemes, we continue to look forward and we believe more entities will participate so that we may, together, continue to build a safe and secure digital ecosystem for the State of Qatar.”