Cybersecurity versus technology managers and investment experts: protect your data –...

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains a primary target for internet hackers, as it is one of the largest oil resources in the world and in light of the great development aimed at achieving the National Transformation Plan and Vision 2030, according to the latest survey of IT managers conducted by IDC in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and according to 60% of IT managers Saudis believe that cybersecurity is the biggest technical challenge in their sleep.About 46% of Saudi CEOs are expected to influence this viewpoint on spending decisions on cybersecurity, and 75% of those surveyed have gone so far as to invest in privacy and cybersecurity, with the aim of raising protection on their businesses.

Therefore, cybersecurity readiness has become one of the main performance indicators for transformation initiatives in many Saudi companies, and this has strengthened the steps taken by the Kingdom to reduce future exposure to electronic threats, and 85% of IT managers believe that investments in these technologies and privacy will be crucial to drive transformation initiatives. Digital in their organization.

This prompted the Kingdom to invest heavily in cybersecurity after the cyber attack on Saudi Aramco in 2012 from a malicious program called “Shamoon”, which disrupted oil production and made 30,000 oil stations unusable.

Joseph Carson, chief cybersecurity specialist and consultant at Thycotic, said the kingdom has a strong and tough force in this area.

The evolution of attacks threatens the infrastructure

The nature of cyber attacks has evolved and we have seen IT-style attacks for a long time, such as malware or even ransomware, but now we are seeing attacks on micro-processes as well.

Cyber ​​attacks generally target industrial control systems, in the form of RATs, industrial control systems – the hardware, software, and networks used to power or automate industrial processes.These are often critical controllers that manage process integrity. RATs try to penetrate as many of these controllers as possible, but they remain Latent and inactive until enough of it is available to cause maximum damage not only on IT systems but also on electrophysical systems.

Saudi Arabia … and cybersecurity investments

National development plans and diversification initiatives recognize that emerging technologies are enablers of comprehensive transformation, yet the adoption of these technologies exposes public and private sector enterprises to a new wave of cyber threats.

In response, the Kingdom is making additional efforts to build capacity and capacity to secure technologies that enable diversification initiatives that are the driving force behind the National Transformation Program, and this has led to the creation of organizations such as the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCPSP). .

Matt Moynahan, CEO of Forcepoint Information Protection Company, confirms that all countries deal with the issue of cybersecurity similarly, but what is exciting in the Kingdom is its rapid shift in adopting a new approach to cybersecurity from the ground up, and the opportunity is available to them. The National Information Security Strategy is among the most important initiatives taken by the Kingdom to formalize the national cybersecurity framework and mitigate risks.

This is what the draft of this strategy emphasized on the need to improve the Kingdom’s general security and resilience in order to provide a safe foundation upon which a knowledge-based economy can be built. In an effort to centralize the national cybersecurity management approach, the kingdom issued a royal decree to establish the National Cybersecurity Authority, which has organizational and operational functions. This authorizes the National Supervisory Authority to develop and oversee the implementation of a national cybersecurity strategy.

New laws to combat cybercrime

In line with the legislation and laws in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the Kingdom already has a stand-alone law to combat cybercrime, with the help of the Communications and Information Technology Commission, and with broad powers to investigate cyber crimes. Another major part of Saudi law is the recently adopted e-commerce law, designed to curb online fraud and boost economic growth, so the emerging e-commerce environment and other data-rich commercial environments in the kingdom will become battlegrounds for cybercriminals as law enforcement agencies will need to develop their capabilities. And enhance their technical skills.

Finally, we recommend that resolving any problem begins with acceptance first, and then cybersecurity professionals understand the amount of increased attack if their organization wants to mitigate their business risks.

So security professionals are not the only ones who need to be aware of the risks facing their environments, given the potential impact of any harm, and executive leaders and corporate boards also need to understand where their organizations are exposed and to what extent, especially given the nature. Sophisticated threatening cyber attacks.