No single entity or government can achieve cyber security on its own, says UAE expert

UAE is keen on communication, coordination and working together with various government departments, private sector and other nations to ensure cyber security

Ismail Sebugwaawo

Published: Sun 14 Nov 2021, 3:44 PM

No single entity or government can achieve cyber security on its own. It has to be a collaborative effort by all nations, said Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity in the UAE Government.

During a panel discussion on Technology, Cybersecurity, and the Future of Global Politics at the Abu Dhabi Strategic Dialogue (ADSD) on Sunday, Al-Kuwaiti said cyber security has to be a collaborative effort as no one nation can manage to secure the global use of the internet.

“Cyber attacks happen everyday, everywhere across the globe. The UAE is keen on communication, coordination and working together with various government departments, private sector and other nations to ensure cyber security,” he said.

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Al-Kuwaiti noted that the UAE had come up with the ‘smart government and smart cities’ strategy and that the interconnected systems have helped to ensure cyber security in the country.

“The smart government has also accelerated the digital economy for instance the technological infrastructure helped the continuity of work and education during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

“Awareness is also a key pillar in cyber security and the UAE has conducted campaigns among members of the community and private sector to raise cyber awareness and protect themselves from hackers.”

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The official also pointed out that Quantum Artificial Intelligence will soon be introduced in the UAE and will be used by certain sectors such as health to help speed up work.

Dr. Fabio Rugge, Head of Center on Cybersecurity of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) said there was a growing escalation of cyber attacks globally.

“We are witnessing a situation by which each nation is trying to secure its cyber security on its own, but in the end it doesn’t work out, he said adding that nations need to work together to combat cyber criminals.

The cyber expert also noted that a lot of new technologies were emerging making it complex to manage cyber security given the stiff competition among companies manufacturing technologies.

He stressed that awareness on emerging technologies and what nations need to do is very important.

Worst time of Covid-19 pandemic is over: Expert

In another discussion titled: Emerging Security Threats: Pandemics and Climate Change, Prof. Yanzhong Huang, Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a Professor at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations said cases of COVID-19 were dropping in many countries including the UAE where the new cases have dipped to below 100 over the recent days.

“The worst time is probably over though many developing nations are still facing a challenge of accessing the Covid vaccine. Only 2 percent of people in low-income countries have received even one dose of the vaccine,” he said adding that more than 40 percent of the world population has been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Huang noted that the Covid-19 pandemic is both a human and national security threat and has negatively impacted the social activities and economies of many countries.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com