DOHA: Qatar’s Cabinet has approved plans to establish a National Agency for Cybersecurity.
The Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, chaired by H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, approved a draft Amiri decision in this regard.
The establishment of the agency comes within the framework of updating legislation to keep pace with fast-paced developments in the cyberworld and to face emerging threats and risks.
It also aims to unify the vision and efforts to secure the country’s cyberspace and to maintain national cyber security, Qatar News Agency reported.
Draft provisions
The draft includes provisions relating to the establishment of the agency, its objectives, competencies, administration and financial system. The cybersecurity agency will help protect Qatar’s cyberspace against all kinds of cyber fraud, and take into account the latest developments in the cyber world.
The move comes as the world has witnessed an increase in the number of cyber crimes after Covid-19, with working from home becoming a norm, exposing people to cybercrimes.
The Ministry of Interior in Qatar had recently arrested 31 people for stealing QR10 million through SMS fraud. In 2017, Qatar News Agency was hacked by external forces prior to imposing a siege on Qatar by some neighbouring countries.
National Cyber Security Strategy
n 2014, Qatar had implemented a National Cyber Security Strategy. The strategy represented “a roadmap towards enhancing cyber security in Qatar by establishing and maintaining a secure cyberspace to safeguard national interests and preserve the fundamental rights and values of Qatar’s society”.
The strategy had five objectives. First, safeguard the national critical information infrastructure; second, respond to, resolve, and recover from cyber incidents and attacks through timely information sharing, collaboration, and action; third, establish a legal and regulatory framework to enable a safe and vibrant cyberspace; fourth, foster a culture of cyber security that promotes safe and appropriate use of cyberspace and fifth, develop and cultivate national cyber security capabilities.