Cyber Assurance Conference 2024
On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, the National Cyber Security Agency organized the third edition of Qatar Cyber Assurance Conference under the theme "Foster Collaboration to Achieve the Cyber Security Vision”. The event was held in the presence of H.E. Eng. Abdulrahman bin Ali Al Farahid Al Malki, President of the National Cyber Security Agency, alongside several senior officials, representatives from government entities, private companies, and cybersecurity service providers across the country.
This year’s edition, aimed to strengthen collaboration and unify efforts among various sectors in the country to overcome challenges and mitigate risks in the field of cybersecurity. It also highlighted the collaborative efforts of the National Cyber Security Agency in the field of cyber assurance, working in partnership with various entities, foremost among them Qatar Financial Markets Authority, Qatar Development Bank, and Crest International.
The conference served as a platform for unveiling Qatar’s future cybersecurity roadmap in line with the National Cyber Security Strategy 2024-2030 which was recently launched.
In her opening speech, Engineer Dana Yousef Al Abdulla, Director of National Cyber Governance and Assurance Affairs at the National Cyber Security Agency, stated, "Our vision in the coming years will focus on bridging gaps, working on the provisions of the National Cyber Security Strategy, specifically the second pillar, which focuses on establishing regulatory frameworks for both public and private sectors to enhance cyber assurance, compliance, and implementation".
"Efforts will be aligned with other pillars, such as research, innovation, international cooperation, and workforce talent development to elevate cybersecurity resilience across Qatar. We will also continue to analyze root causes and identify factors that increase risks and threats in critical sectors while proposing effective assurance tools to mitigate them,” said Al Abdulla.
She also emphasized the agency's commitment to introduce key and supporting services to enhance the national cybersecurity landscape, including cybersecurity service providers accreditation and creating new pathways for accrediting service providers. She also stressed on the importance of raising awareness about Qatar's efforts in the field of cyber assurance on the regional and international levels, in line with the fifth pillar of the National Cyber Security Strategy.
During the conference, several companies and organizations were acknowledged for their significant contributions and achievements in the cybersecurity field. Additionally, a number of entities were awarded Certificates of Compliance to National Information Assurance Standard and Qatar Common Criteria Scheme (QCCS).
The conference featured two expert led panel discussions. The first session was titled "National, Corporate CSIRT and the need for Cyber Assurance," while the second panel focused on “The Importance of Technology Vetting in Cyber Assurance Programs”.
On the sidelines of the conference a workshop on “National Information Assurance (NIA) Audit Accreditation - Key Updates” was held. Additionally, a dedicated forum was conducted to discuss key updates on the National Information Assurance Compliance program. The forum highlighted the main updates designed to streamline the process of obtaining NIA compliance certificate while reducing the time required for associated audits.
