Global security hubs in Saudi Arabia will strengthen efforts to tackle cybercrimes: SAMI CEO

RIYADH: Establishing “global or regional” command and control centers in Saudi Arabia to counter cyber threats is seen as a “win-win” in enhancing international cooperation, according to Walid Abukhaled, CEO of Saudi Arabian Military Industries. 

Speaking at the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh on Wednesday, Abukhaled highlighted that such a “hub”, which various countries can be part of, could facilitate the sharing of regulatory reforms, information on threat types, best practices, and mutual learning. 

He said: “There is a direct relationship between the safety, security, and prosperity of any nation. Foreign investments are always linked to the safety and security of any nation, so if a country wants to invest in another country, they look at the safety and security of that nation.”  

The SAMI CEO added: “The future is all about cyber, and this is huge security about protecting strategic assets and investments.” 

Megat Zuhairy bin Megat, CEO of the National Cyber Security Agency in Malaysia, emphasized that “global collaboration” is “the fifth pillar of national cybersecurity strategy.” 

He said: “We have been communicating and collaborating with our cybersecurity entities around the world.” 

The CEO added: “We have been communicating and collaborating with cybersecurity entities around the world.

“We have our command center in Malaysia. We share our intelligence with Singapore, Indonesia, and the rest of the world. However, without the capability and capacity of us receiving the information, we will not be able to translate that better whether it is a real threat or not, for example.” 

Felix Barrio Juarez, director general of the Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute, indicated that in the EU, they are currently enhancing standardization processes to establish a set of requirements.  

Juarez added: “We have to talk about national sovereignty in terms of technology, and cybersecurity allows this.” 

Abdulrahman Ali Al-Malki, president of the National Cyber Security Agency in Qatar, said: “Nations that dedicated large budgets for cybersecurity have benefited in the short and long term from attracting the global solutions and establishing the appropriate infrastructure for new future projects.” 

This has attracted “international companies plus safeguarding assets in the country from cyberattacks and their consequences in restoring services.” Al-Malki added.