"The membership of the committee includes representatives from all sectors in the country, and it has sub-committees for each sector. Coordination is held at the highest level between all committees and the supreme committee in order to achieve the desired objectives to ensure the achievement of information security," HE Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani told the fourth conference on information security in the financial institutions, organised by the Qatar Central Bank.
Qatar works in full coordination with all regional and international institutions and organisations to unify policies and to promote and protect efforts for protecting information security, he said.
Several committees have been formed at the level of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to link and develop payment and settlement systems and to enhance information security and protection, in addition to coordination in the field of supervision and control, said Sheikh Abdullah, who is also the Interior Minister.
"Coordination is also being undertaken at the international level to enhance information security, particularly in the financial sector, and to benefit from international expertise and experience in this field," he said.
Quoting various reports that suggest losses from cyber-crimes are expected to reach more than $2trn globally by 2019 from almost $500mn in 2015; Sheikh Abdullah said the challenges faced by cyberspace require everyone to take the necessary measures to protect and enhance information security systems.
In this regard, he pointed to the importance and necessity of more active participation and cooperation between governments and the private sector because of the great importance of the financial sector and its effective role in the economy.
In order to achieve a comprehensive national security, he said, Qatar has taken all measures, procedures and plans to ensure the protection of the security of national information by protecting the infrastructure of classified information from hacking and theft, in addition to reducing the risks to the information infrastructure, finding quick and appropriate technical solutions and reducing the damage and the duration of repairs resulting from any external or internal attacks and other threats.
Warning about the dangers related to information security, especially those related to cyber-crimes which has spread and affected developed countries and major companies; the premier referred to the hack that targeted the Qatar News Agency website last May in an attempt to harm Qatar and escalate the current crisis by the siege countries.
Stressing on the need to intensify the local, regional and international efforts to find the best ways to protect information security and lessen the dangers surrounding it; he said effective protection would not be achieved unless joint cooperation among all parties is established locally, regionally and internationally, in addition to setting strategies based on basic substrates of defense, deterrence and development.
Qatar / Qatar
Qatar to devise foolproof strategy to achieve info security, repel cyber attacks
HE Sheikh Abdullah addressing the QCB conference
Qatar has constituted a high level committee to prepare policies and programmes as part of its strategy to achieve information security and strengthen the firewall against cyber-attacks.
