The National Cybersecurity Authority launches the “National Program for Cyber Drills”

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) has announced the launch of the “National Program for Cyber Drills” aimed at equipping the protectors of Saudi Arabia’s cyberspace with the skills needed to combat cyberattacks. The program also provides strategies for dealing with cyberattacks through different simulation scenarios and is implemented through a locally built, designed, and hosted platform.

The platform was created in cooperation with the authority's technical arm, the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE), to enhance cybersecurity and cyber readiness in the Kingdom. It falls within the “CyberIC” program framework which is focused on developing the cybersecurity sector in Saudi Arabia.

The NCA has stated that the program is for cybersecurity officials (CISOs), as well as specialists in the field of cybersecurity working in national entities. It also includes incident response teams in the financial, health, energy, and industrial sectors, as well as communications and information technology sector experts.

The program provides state-of-the-art simulations to help build knowledge and teach trainees global best practices on how to defend against cyberattacks. The NCA monitors the exercises and provides feedback to the entities on how they can improve their capabilities and operations. 

These technical drills aim to develop the skills of specialists and enable them to deal with cyberattacks. In addition to these, there are administrative exercises that test leadership skills in the face of cyberattacks. These exercises aim to enhance cybersecurity in the Kingdom, enhance the cyber readiness of national entities, support business continuity, and develop the skills of specialists in the field of cybersecurity.

The launch of the “National Program for Cyber Drills” is an extension of the NCA’s efforts to implement cyber drills for national entities, with the authority aiming to train over 5,000 beneficiaries during the first phase of the program. This will contribute to the development of the capabilities in various national entities and enhance their resilience against cyber threats while raising their readiness to combat cyber incidents.

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) is Saudi Arabia’s national authority for cybersecurity affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It aims to protect the Kingdom’s vital interests, including national security, sensitive infrastructure, priority sectors, and government services and activities, by strengthening domestic cybersecurity capabilities. The NCA is also concerned with setting and updating policies, governance mechanisms, frameworks, standards, controls, and guidelines related to cybersecurity, circulating them to the relevant authorities, and ensuring compliance. It is also charged with developing performance indicators for cybersecurity and preparing periodic reports on the state of cybersecurity at the national level.