Proceeding from its objective to provide a safe and secure cyber environment for users, and in line with its interest to continuously participate in all events that enhance cooperation between all stakeholders in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) will participate in the First International Cyber Security Forum for Energy and Utilities taking place from May 21-24, at the Hilton in Abu Dhabi. In addition, the TRA represented by Eng. Ahmad Hassan, Monitoring and Response Team Leader at the Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT), a TRA initiative, is a member of the advisory committee of this vitally important event.Speaking on the forum, H.E. Majed Al Mesmar, TRA Acting Director General said: “The UAE has a leading regional position in the ICT field; it also applies security standards that are considered one of the highest among its counterparts in the region and the world as well. Hence, we at the TRA are eager to participate, through aeCERT, at the first edition of this event. This forum is attracting a high level participation from both public and private sectors, and will discuss the latest cyber security developments. I look forward to the exchange ideas and expertise with participants in this field.”
“The topics that will be discussed during the forum are highly important due to their linkage to the security of utilities that are vital to nations. Our collective work to find solutions for security threats is one of the major initiatives holding our focus. In the light of the vast expansion of the internet, and the accelerated development of communication technologies, this advancement is accompanied by the increase in the volume and severity of cyber-attacks, which pose a threat to our utilities. We are confident that our coming participation in the forum will be beneficial to us in the UAE and other countries attending this grand event,” he added.
The forum will be attended by leaders of industrial, utilities and energy sectors, in addition to high ranking officials from pioneering companies that work in this field and high level representatives from governmental entities. H.E. Majed Al Mesmar will deliver a speech in which he will highlight aspects of cyber security in general, and the importance of this type of security for vital utilities and facilities in countries. He will also note in his remarks some of the steps taken by the UAE to ensure the security of its utilities.
The participants will discuss critical topics including: the business need for addressing energy cyber security; industry challenges; threats facing corporate IT and industrial control systems; security improvement implementation; important management issues; and local and international regulations and standards. A workshop comprises the first day of the First International Cyber Security Forum for Energy and Utilities titled: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Systems & Industrial Control Systems- Security Insights Workshop, which aims to address this concern. The following two days are dedicated to the Forum on cyber security for this sector. An exhibition takes place during the forum and the Vendors Day concludes the entire event.
Notably, aeCERT aims to support the ICT infrastructure and protect it from cyber-attacks by building a secure and safe cyber culture in the country. The team also seeks to fight cybercrime as well as raise information security awareness in the nation, and build national expertise in information security, incident management, and computer forensics.
