Cybersecurity Conference... From Plans to Actual Readiness

- Wael Al-Sabah: Protecting information infrastructure, technological systems, and critical facilities is a primary requirement for safeguarding national security.

- Khaled Al-Zamil: It is essential to measure the impact of cybersecurity investments using clear performance indicators that reflect institutional readiness.

- Sheikha Al-Eissa: The Kuwait Banks Union is committed to implementing global best practices in risk management and governance.

The Seventh Gulf Conference and Exhibition on Cybersecurity Challenges, held today, Wednesday, under the theme “Building Capabilities and Enhancing Readiness... Innovation and Governance,” discussed the importance of transitioning from formulating plans and policies to measuring the actual readiness of institutions through clear performance indicators that reflect their ability to confront cyber threats and handle them efficiently.

The two-day conference, held under the patronage of Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah, in collaboration with the Public Authority for Communications and Information Technology (PACTI) and the Kuwait Banks Union, was attended by ambassadors of friendly and sister nations, along with numerous leaders and representatives of government entities. The event featured an exhibition where sponsoring companies showcased the latest technologies and solutions in the field of cybersecurity.

The first speaker was Dr. Wael Nasser Hamoud Al-Sabah, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services at the Ministry of Defense, who emphasized the commitment to supporting the cybersecurity system in accordance with the State of Kuwait’s vision, ensuring the safety of sensitive data and information, and maintaining operational continuity. This is achieved by establishing frameworks and policies and ensuring compliance with national standards, thereby making them more secure and advanced.

Dr. Wael Al-Sabah stated that “cybersecurity is currently one of the most important elements of national security, especially in light of the digital transformation across various productive and service sectors. Protecting information infrastructure, technological systems, and critical facilities has become a primary requirement to maintain the security and stability of states by adopting all necessary measures and means to protect these systems from cyber threats.”

For his part, Dr. Khaled Al-Zamil, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Communications and Information Technology, emphasized that enhancing cybersecurity requires transitioning from formulating plans and policies to measuring the actual readiness of institutions through clear performance indicators that reflect their ability to confront cyber threats and handle them efficiently.

Al-Zamil, in his address at the conference, highlighted the importance of measuring the impact of cybersecurity investments using clear performance indicators that reflect institutional readiness. He noted that every plan should be tested through simulation exercises (Cyber Drills), every training session should enhance actual capabilities, and every test should lead to clear remediation of identified shortcomings.

He pointed out that this readiness is of particular importance in the communications and information technology sector, as a single ransomware attack on a shared service provider could halt services for hundreds of entities simultaneously.

He further explained that this requires investing in national competencies and providing practical training for youth and specialists on the real challenges faced by institutions, noting that qualified teams are those that transform plans into effective incident response when needed.

For her part, Sheikha Al-Eissa, Secretary General of the Kuwait Banks Union, emphasized in her address that cybersecurity has become a fundamental element in economic stability, protecting institutions, and enhancing trust in digital services, particularly in the banking sector, which is one of the most technology-dependent sectors and a primary target for cyberattacks.

Al-Eissa added that the Kuwait Banks Association is keen on strengthening the cybersecurity framework through investment in modern technologies, developing protection systems, and applying global best practices in risk management and governance, thereby ensuring the protection of customers and maintaining the stability and integrity of the financial sector. She explained that the world is witnessing rapid expansion in the use of artificial intelligence technologies, which opens wide horizons for innovation and improving operational efficiency, but at the same time imposes new challenges consisting of the evolution of fraud methods, social engineering, and digital forgery. This necessitates enhancing institutional capabilities and adopting more advanced tools to monitor these risks and deal with them effectively.

She added that the Association continues, in cooperation with the Central Bank of Kuwait and Kuwaiti banks, to implement awareness and educational campaigns, foremost among which is the “Let’s Be Aware” campaign, aimed at raising awareness of cybersecurity risks and emerging fraud methods, and promoting a culture of safe use of financial and digital services.

Dr. Wael Al-Sabah pointed out that the conference represents a continuation of the joint cooperation journey with relevant and specialized authorities to achieve greater successes and better aspirations, emphasizing the importance of strengthening this trust-based and secure cooperation while maintaining information confidentiality. He also noted that the conference addresses the research and analysis of key cybersecurity strategies and highlights the latest research and advanced technologies in this field, stressing the importance of enhancing awareness of cybersecurity risks and building an informed society to confront future challenges.

Khaled Al-Zamil stated that one of the world’s largest digital asset platforms was recently targeted by a theft of approximately $6 billion within hours, in one of the largest breaches of its kind, which originated from a single employee’s device. He highlighted the importance of digital services backed by actual cyber resilience, which can be tested and measured.

On the local level, Al-Zamil drew attention to government entities in the country that have been subjected to similar attacks, noting that the average cost of a data breach in the region reached $8 million this year, compared to approximately $5 million globally, and that one in four breaches is carried out using artificial intelligence (AI-enabled attacks).

Sheikha Al-Eissa observed that the focus is no longer limited to protection alone; it has become essential to enhance the concept of cyber resilience. True readiness is measured by an institution’s ability to respond and recover quickly from any cyberattacks or incidents, and to maintain business continuity under all circumstances.