Cybersecurity pillar for Bahrain progress

TDT | Manama                    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

Reported by Ashen Tharaka

Bahrain attaches special importance to cybersecurity because of its major role in providing cyber protection for all sectors that support the comprehensive development process.

In fact, the Kingdom is one of the leading countries in the region in the field of cybersecurity. It has launched the necessary initiatives and set up the basic rules of cybersecurity to put in place a robust and sustainable electronic environment, capable of confronting the increasing cyber challenges.

This was emphasised by National Security Advisor and Royal Guard Commander, Major-General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, as he inaugurated the First Arab International Cybersecurity Conference and Exhibition yesterday at Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir.

HH Shaikh Nasser opened the three-day event, which will run until tomorrow, on behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. It serves as a global platform for cybersecurity experts and specialists from the Kingdom and various countries, as well as representatives of the public and private sectors.

They will share experiences and explore new ideas to harness the power of cybersecurity technologies. HH Shaikh Nasser stressed that cybersecurity has become a basic pillar of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in the world to confront cyber risks.

He cited Bahrain’s keenness to develop the ICT infrastructure and adopt many initiatives and projects to improve the readiness and security of information, in a way that enhances its advanced world-standard digital infrastructure and contributes to protecting its cybersecurity.

The Kingdom has launched a National Cybersecurity Strategy that includes basic, interconnected pillars that constitute a comprehensive and coherent framework to maintain a safe and reliable cyberspace in the Kingdom, HH Shaikh Nasser noted.

He said that the Kingdom’s hosting of this inaugural event reflects its great interest in developing the telecommunications, ICT and digital economy fields, being one of the promising priority sectors, as well as its keenness to provide a platform to identify the latest policies, legislation and technologies related to cybersecurity.

Properly secured

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, David Colombo, a German inventor, said: “We must ensure that equity such as hospitals, power plants, airplanes, ships, and even automobiles are properly secured and this is the new future.

“I am going to demonstrate how to hack a Tesla even when a person is away from the vehicle, and I have the ability to unlock and start the car, access the control panel and control the speed.”