Experts highlight danger of cyber threats at Milipol Qatar seminars

Doha: The Milipol Qatar 2021 yesterday hosted seminars on ‘Cyber Security and Cyber Threats’ and highlighted the importance of providing top and adequate security and safety infrastructure.

Dr. Mohamed Al Dorani, CEO of Fortress Security Consultancy, said that infrastructure is essential and powerful for achieving high protection against cyber intrusions, noting that 100% protection cannot be guaranteed in this area. He said imbalances or attacks affecting digital infrastructure would cause damage in various areas and called for their protection to avoid penetration. He emphasised that the new wars were cyber.

Dr. Al Dorani said cyber-attacks between countries are constantly increasing, referring to the methods of cyber-attacks and the ease at which targets are reached through professional hackers. He said this includes malicious worms and new viruses that have not been used before and do not have an electronic footprint, and can cross any “firewall” or program Antivirus.

Regarding the cybersecurity strategy, Dr. Al Dorani explained that Qatar’s National Cybersecurity Strategy provides the necessary protection, legal, and security frameworks to ensure safety and protection from cyber-attacks. He stressed that the state’s government agencies enjoy the best protection programmes, in addition to Qatar’s cooperation with many friendly countries in cybersecurity and with international security agencies.

Meanwhile, Mika Lauhde, from Huawei Technologies, noted that restrictions and lack of participation between governments, individuals, and companies in the cybersecurity sector increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and posed a challenge. He called for building confidence between the various parties to erase these challenges.

Lauhde said that when governments isolate themselves due to the pandemic and decrease coordination and communication, the attacks increased, and criminals exploited the gaps. Lauhde noted the need to build national capabilities in cybersecurity to reach positive results.

Nazeeb Poolakkal, Cybersecurity expert at Ooredoo, said that cybersecurity has become a global challenge facing individuals, public institutions, and business companies. It is getting more dangerous as nations trend towards smart cities, smart transportation, self-driving cars, and others. 

He stressed that considering these challenges, government and private agencies, organizations, and businesses require defense and protection teams to confront cyber-attacks and limit their damage. He presented the statistics that reveal the nature of cyber-attacks and the sectors targeted and the quality of protection provided by companies to counter the risks of piracy and cyber-attacks.

Mohamed Taha Benssiba of Dell Technologies pointed to the reality of cyber-attacks in 2020 and expectations for the current year. He warned that the risks are constantly evolving, requiring constant preparation to deal with them. He said that 2020 was the liveliest year for pirates, as they made profits estimated at $350 mn, which threatens the global economy. 

He added that the cost of cyber-attacks far outweighs natural disasters, with the likelihood of these attacks rising in 2021. He emphasised the need for countries and companies to take measures to protect them from these new risks.