RIYADH: Cybersecurity providers in Saudi Arabia have been urged to register their information as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to regulate the sector.
The National CyberSecurity Authority made the call on Monday, saying it was to help safeguard the interests of consumers, enhance the level of service provided, and create a suitable ecosystem to attract and stimulate local and international investment in the sector.
It also said that registration would be a regulatory requirement for any entity that provided cybersecurity solutions, services or products in the Kingdom starting from Aug. 1st, 2022.
It described the country’s cybersecurity sector as a “promising market, especially in light of the increasing demand for cybersecurity solutions, services and products in public, private and other entities.”
“This step will contribute to the implementation of the cybersecurity market and industry development initiative in the Kingdom as part of the national cybersecurity strategy aiming to support the growth of the sector in the Kingdom and encourage innovation and investment in it to reach a resilient, secure, and trusted Saudi cyberspace,” it added.
The registration step aims to regulate the provision of cybersecurity services in the Kingdom and its approach. “This improves the efficiency of the service and encourages companies to compete and raise quality,” said Abdulrahman Al-Nimari, chief information security officer at Rock Solid Group.
He told Arab News that efforts at the state level had contributed to enabling cybersecurity, and the establishment of the National Cyber Security Authority was among the most prominent.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The authority said that registration would be a regulatory requirement for any entity that provided cybersecurity solutions, services, or products in the Kingdom starting from Aug. 1st, 2022.
• It described the country’s cybersecurity sector as a ‘promising market, especially in light of the increasing demand for cybersecurity solutions, services, and products in public, private, and other entities.’’
Al-Nimari stressed the importance of the regulations enacted by the authority to ensure the safety of infrastructure and its use of the best international practices and initiatives, which “aimed at training and raising the efficiency of university graduates as well as employees, such as the establishment of the National Cyber Security Academy affiliated to the authority.”
Abdulrahman Al-Nimari, the chief information security officer at Rock Solid Group. (twitter.com/NCA_KSA)
He said that high-quality cybersecurity had a positive impact on the business sector by protecting businesses from unauthorized access, destruction or service suspension, in addition to its impact in helping to achieve business goals and increasing productivity due to a safe environment.
Al-Nimari said that cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia was constantly improving, “but we are facing many and varied challenges in light of the increase in digital transformation and the increase in the number of projects managed through modern technologies, as this led to an increase in cyber challenges not only at the local level but at the global level.”
Registration with the NCA is for any business, organization or other body that provides cybersecurity solutions, services or products.
The NCA is in charge of cybersecurity in the Kingdom and is its national reference for cybersecurity affairs.
It seeks to strengthen the cybersecurity sector to safeguard the Kingdom’s vital interests and national security and protect critical infrastructure, high-priority sectors, and government services in line with Vision 2030.
It was established by royal decree in 2017 and is mandated to implement the National Information Security Strategy, which formalizes a Kingdom-wide framework for cybersecurity, risk mitigation and resilience via governance policies, standards, cyber defense operations and developing human capital and local industry capabilities.
