The importance of cyber security is gaining ground and its extensive applications across the world were highlighted by experts at a round table, held as part of Project Stadia.
Leading the deliberations, the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) CEO Dr Ahmed Elmagarmid recalled some of the recent cyber security attacks on targets such as critical infrastructure, including news agencies' websites and on vital government data and its implications on respective governments.
Cyber security, he said, is not just about technological applications but also about a vital process that includes business decisions, technologies and even opponents of a country. The top QCRI official explained how important are such areas as prevention, resilience, continuous improvement and assessment while dealing with such a sensitive subject. 
There is greater necessity of protecting as much environment as possible within one's own network, said the expert while highlighting the importance of detecting where protections have failed. The speaker also stressed the need for continuous improvement to do away with the new vulnerabilities. One should also be in a position to assess in real-time the security posture of his own environment with respect to a well-defined security policy, he added.
Dr Elmagarmid said their institute has already decided to focus on the areas of cyber security that are the most important to Qatar and on segments where existing expertise in related technologies can be leveraged and readily applied. These include the ability to predict, overcome and prevent the cyber attacks on Qatar's critical infrastructure in future and also to ensure preparedness for emerging cyber threats to be addressed as part of the country's security.
Earlier, the Ministry of Interior's (MoI) Information Security Centre assistant director Major Othman Salem al-Hamoud explained the country's preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Later, First Lt Hamad Eid al-Qahtani of the Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy's Cyber Security spoke about the overall developments in cyber security in Qatar.
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