Defense: Committed to supporting the cybersecurity system in line with Kuwait's vision - Sarmad

Assistant. Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services at the Ministry of Defense, Dr. Wael Nasser Al-Sabah, emphasized the commitment to supporting the cybersecurity framework in line with the State of Kuwait’s vision, ensuring the integrity of sensitive data and information, and maintaining operational continuity by establishing frameworks and policies and ensuring compliance with national standards, thereby making them more secure and advanced.

This statement was made by Dr. Wael Al-Sabah on Wednesday during the opening of the Seventh Gulf Conference and Exhibition on Cybersecurity Challenges, under the theme “Building Capabilities and Enhancing Readiness: Innovation and Governance,” sponsored by Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah. The two-day event is held in collaboration with the Public Authority for Communications and Information Technology (PACT) and the Kuwait Banks Association.

Dr. Al-Sabah stated that cybersecurity is currently one of the most critical elements of national security, particularly in light of the digital transformation across various productive and service sectors. Protecting informational infrastructure, technological systems, and vital facilities has become a primary requirement for safeguarding countries’ security and stability, necessitating the adoption of all necessary measures and means to protect these systems from cyber threats.

He noted that the conference represents a continuation of joint cooperation efforts with relevant and specialized entities to achieve greater successes and better prospects, reaffirming the importance of strengthening this trust-based and security-oriented collaboration while maintaining information confidentiality.

He highlighted that the conference focuses on researching and analyzing key cybersecurity strategies, shedding light on the latest research and advanced technologies in the field, and stressed the importance of raising awareness about cybersecurity risks and building an informed society capable of facing future challenges.

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

Al-Zamil pointed out that one of the world’s largest digital asset platforms recently suffered the 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 underscored the importance of digital services backed by actual “Cyber Resilience” that can be tested and measured.

On the local level, Al-Zamil noted that several government entities in the country have been subjected to similar attacks. He explained 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 AI-enabled attacks.

He emphasized the importance of measuring the impact of cybersecurity investments through clear performance indicators that reflect institutional readiness. Every plan should be tested via cyber drills, every training session should enhance actual capabilities, and every test should lead to clear remediation of identified shortcomings.

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

Al-Zamil stressed the necessity of advancing protection requirements and business continuity in parallel with infrastructure development. He clarified that institutional leadership is responsible for defining roles, monitoring risks, and directing resources to make decisions based on a precise understanding of preparedness levels.

He noted that this requires investing in national competencies and providing practical training for youth and specialists on real institutional challenges, emphasizing that qualified teams are those that transform plans into effective incident response when needed.

Al-Zamil pointed out that the Authority underscores the importance of regulation in supporting trust in digital services and protecting users’ rights; it issued a data privacy protection regulation to govern the handling of personal data, stressing the importance of compliance by entities subject to the regulation’s provisions and ensuring that these commitments are reflected in the design, operation, and handling of user data.

For her part, Sheikhah Al-Eissa, Secretary General of the Kuwait Banks Union, affirmed in her speech 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 frequent target of cyberattacks.

Al-Eissa added that the Kuwait Banks Union is committed to 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 clarified 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 simultaneously poses new challenges in the form of evolving fraud methods, social engineering, and digital forgery. This necessitates strengthening institutional capacities and adopting more advanced tools to monitor these risks and handle them effectively.

She noted 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.

She stated that close cooperation between Kuwaiti banks, the Central Bank of Kuwait, and official authorities, through the Central Chamber for Handling Financial and Electronic Fraud, has contributed to enhancing readiness and effective response to emerging risks, supporting the security and stability of the financial system in the State of Kuwait.

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

She emphasized that addressing cyber challenges requires collective action combining innovation, governance, technology, human resources, readiness, and resilience, which, through this integration, contributes to building a more resilient and prepared system to meet future requirements and evolving challenges.

The conference was attended by ambassadors of friendly and allied countries, along with a number of leaders and representatives of government entities. It was accompanied by an exhibition in which sponsoring companies participated to showcase the latest technologies and solutions in the field of cybersecurity.