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The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) invited cybersecurity subject matter experts on the national level for consultation on the draft version of the national cybersecurity strategy. Several meetings and workshops were held with high-level representatives from national agencies and experts from various representation of the government private and academic sectors; to ensure the engagement of experts in the decision-making process.Experts’ and representatives’ feedback collected on the draft version of the strategy included the development methodology, strategic context, national cybersecurity vision, strategic goals, the national operating model, action plan’s main tracks,The discussions included various topics with the aim of aligning national efforts to achieve Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision digital transformation programs, and strengthening the kingdom’s cybersecurity posture. Topics included support mechanisms for small and medium cybersecurity enterprises, Information sharing platforms, means for supporting cybersecurity research and development programs, potential fields of cooperation and integration between the public and private sectors, partnerships with relevant agencies to develop cybersecurity training programs for professionals, university students and fresh-graduates. In addition to challenges and opportunities faced by stakeholders, and the support the strategy will provide to boost the cybersecurity industry in the kingdom.Currently, the NCA is developing the national cybersecurity strategy and will be overseeing the implementation as per its mandate. The strategy is developed using a comprehensive methodology, taking into consideration global and local cybersecurity risks while also leveraging national agencies and experts’ feedback. The strategy will establish a national reference framework and an exhaustive governance model in accordance with the best international practices, which fits the kingdom’s needs and expectations and will contribute to establishing an integrated national cybersecurity eco-system that enables national entities to elevate its cybersecurity posture and protect its infrastructure.

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) has organized a workshop on subjects related to cybersecurity, with the participation of a number of vital entities and companies from the transportation sector.The workshop discussed the most prominent cybersecurity challenges and threats, how to deal with and prevent them, raising the entities’ readiness level to be better prepared for such threats, and providing opportunities to improve performance of different entities and to leverage cybersecurity integration among them.The participants reviewed the national strategy for cybersecurity, cyber threats related to the Kingdom, and the training initiatives provided by the National Cybersecurity Academy, in addition to holding sessions on cybersecurity’s essential controls.This workshop falls within NCA’s efforts to strengthen the integration and partnership with all national and vital entities and sectors, in order to raise the level of awareness, readiness and information sharing to protect against cyber threats on a national level.

The Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), His Excellency Dr. Khaled Bin Abdullah Alsabti, has expressed his congratulations to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (May ALLAH protect them) on the success of the Hajj (Pilgrimage) season for this year 1440. Dr. Alsabti pointed that the continuous success the Kingdom is achieving in organizing, managing the Hajj season paying attention to all details is a clear proof of the respect and care our leaderships and citizens have for this great responsibility, which ALLAH has blessed this great country with; making it the destination for Muslims. Serving ALLAH’s guests is both an obligation and an honor as King Salman described it, and for this reason, the kingdom did not hesitate in anyway in insuring the comfort of ALLAH’s guests and their safety, as well as making their Hajj as smooth as possible, for this year and all years.Dr. Alsabti has also added that working as one team in providing services to pilgrims, and showing cooperation and unity from all participating departments and entities, has proved to be effective in facilitating the Hajj season and providing a safe and peaceful atmosphere. Dr. Alsabti pointed out to the great effort made by all participating entities including the National Cybersecurity Authority that provided support to all other entities which includes running a cyber operation room and conducting a tabletop exercise to leverage the cyber readiness of all entities during the Hajj season and their coordination.Dr. Alsabti has expressed his prayers for our country’s continuous safety, stability, and prosperity under the wise leadership of King Salman and his Crown Prince, as well as the safe return of all pilgrims to their countries.

On behalf of himself, Members of the NCA Board and all staff members of the NCA, His Excellency Dr. Mosaad Al Aiban, the Minister of State, member of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the NCA Board, has expressed his congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Vice President of The Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense, -May Allah protect them- and to all Saudi citizens on the 89th Saudi National Day.His Excellency Dr. Al Aiban asks Allah for protection, lasting peace, continuous prosperity and stability to our leadership and homeland.

On behalf of himself and all staff members of the NCA, the governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), His Excellency Dr. Khaled Bin Abdullah Alsabti, has expressed his congratulations to The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (May ALLAH protect them), and to all Saudi citizens on the 89th Saudi National Day.“The National Day is a glorious occasion that fills our hearts with pride, we cherish what the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud –may he rest in peace—has accomplished; uniting our great country and people.” Dr. Alsabti said. “We are also proud of what we are witnessing in this prosperous era; all the components of development and construction represent a journey for success and growth that aims to achieve the 2030 Saudi vision. A vision that reflects our country’s long-term goals, and relies on its unique strengths and capabilities.”Dr. Alsabti has also applauded the great support the able leadership is providing to NCA in order to achieve its goals and objectives, and expressed his prayers to our leadership and homeland, asking ALLAH to protect our peace and stability, to grant our troops victory, and to guide us all to participate in keeping our homeland safe and prosperous.

The National Cybersecurity Academy, affiliated with the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), has finished last week the fourth and final batch of the training courses of the first phase of CyberPro initiative, which aims to develop the skills of the national cybersecurity workforce and to qualify outstanding fresh University graduates from cybersecurity and related programs and encourage them to work in this field.The training was provided by world-class international training institutes and under the Academy’s direct supervision. 179 trainees, who work for national entities, have benefitted from the fourth batch of courses, which makes the total number of trainees in the first phase of this initiative 1039 male and female trainees. 751 of them are employees in 113 national entities, and 288 of them are fresh graduates from 23 Saudi universities and colleges. 15 courses for the foundational level have taken place during the first phase, as well as 10 courses for the intermediate level, and 12 courses for the advanced level.This week, the second phase of this initiative was launched; its target is 2000 students and employees. The second phase includes four levels: the foundation level, the beginner level, the intermediate level and the advance level. The foundation level courses offer extensive theoretical and practical training for two weeks on the following subjects: Introduction to Networks and Operation Systems, and Introduction to Cybersecurity.The beginner level courses offer training courses for two weeks on the following subjects: Cybersecurity Essentials for Operation Systems and Cybersecurity Essentials for networks. As for the intermediate level, the training courses last are two-week long and cover the following topics: Infrastructure Protection, Ethical Hacking, and Penetration Testing Essentials. Finally, the advance level training courses are for one week and cover advanced topics in one of the following areas: Incident Response, Monitoring and Detecting Vulnerabilities, Advanced Penetration Testing, Governance and Risks, Protection of Industrial Control Systems and Secure Programming.In this phase, the academy will invite fresh graduates from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for International Scholarships to apply for these courses, as well as graduates from local universities. The Academy will also coordinate with national entities to recruit CyberPro trainees in order to meet the national workforce need in cybersecurity through training courses aimed for employment and on-job training as well.The Academy’s target is to train 20,000 citizens who work in cybersecurity or ready to work in it before 2022. The goal of this is to create a strong base of qualified cadres, to help reach a secure, resilient and trusted Saudi cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity.This is one of many initiatives launched by the NCA to help address the shortage of the national workforce in this critical field, and to meet the needs of the labour market to protect the Saudi cyberspace. One other initiative was implemented earlier, when the NCA cooperated with the Ministry of Education to offer 540 scholarships for Saudi students to study cybersecurity in international outstanding universities through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Scholarships Abroad as part of an initiative to offer 2500 scholarships over five years .

The Kingdom’s National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) today announced it will be hosting the first-of-its-kind Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF), held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The two-day event will take place this February in Riyadh.The Forum will bring together a range of decision makers and experts from government, business, and academia, as well as investors and representatives of international organizations to address cyber opportunities, challenges, threats and risks. The discussions will aim to strengthen international collaboration, facilitate the launch of both national and international initiatives to create a secure and prosperous cyberworld as well as develop domestic capabilities in support of Vision 2030. The event reflects the rising importance of cybersecurity in today’s international business environment, as emphasized in HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s speech at this year’s G-20 Osaka Summit. The event will also coincide with Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the upcoming G-20 Summit in Riyadh, as well as major investment projects under Vision 2030.According to the Global Cybersecurity Index issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Saudi Arabia is ranked as the top Arab nation and 13th in the world for its commitment to cybersecurity. The Forum will highlight Saudi Arabia’s current and future initiatives that aim at creating a secure cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity. The forum will also leverage the local and global economic opportunities presented by rapid technological changes to establish a globe-leading cybersecurity industry.

In a joint effort between the NCA and the E-Commerce Council, NCA has issued two cybersecurity guidelines documents for sellers and consumers of e-commerce.This is within NCA’s functions and competencies in issuing cybersecurity controls, frameworks, and guidelines, and within the E-Commerce Council’s functions in raising the level of e-commerce trust and developing its role in the national economy in order to realize the goals of the 2030 Saudi vision.The document for sellers, including the owners of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Small Office / Home Office (SoHo) sellers, serves to protect their e-commerce data and devices. While the other document serves the consumers of e-commerce and insure a secure shopping experience that protects their devices, data, and personal information during online transactions.The release of these two documents goes hand in hand with the popularity of e-commerce, and its reliance on the information and communication technology. It also is in step with the emerging generation of cyber threats, which target both consumers and sellers via security breaches of the e-commerce systems and data, denial of service attacks, and other types of threats that aim to leak data, steal money, disable services, and affect systems’ availability.Both the NCA and the E-Commerce council hope that the two documents will raise security awareness for every one that uses this new form of commerce, and will support the establishment of best practices to face such threats and to mitigate their effects.

H.E Dr. Khaled Bin Abdullah Al-Sabti, Governor of the Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority, extended his heartiest congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and to HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, on 5th coronation anniversary of King Salman.Dr. Al-Sabti hailed the growth, modernization and advancement that the Kingdom has been enjoying at all levels over the past five years. “Thanks to Allah, and to the will and honesty of our wise leadership, our country has achieved many high-level political, social and economical objectives in accordance with the inspiring Vision 2030 in its pursuit to be a global role model in all fields,” Dr. Al-Sabti said.“It’s worth mentioning that the Cybersecurity sector is significantly supported and paid attention by our wise leadership reflecting a deep understanding that addressing the cyber challenges and risks would lead our country to achieve a sustainable development, cope with the global advancements, reach our national targets and protect our vital interests, national security, critical infrastructure, priority sectors and government services and activities,” added Dr. Al-Sabti.Concluding his statement, Dr. Al-Sabti prayed to Allah Almighty to protect King Salman and his Crown Prince and to maintain security, stability and prosperity for the Kingdom.

H.E Dr. Musaed Bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of State, member of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority, extended his heartiest congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and to the Saudi citizens on 5th coronation anniversary of King Salman. may Allah the perpetuate security, wellbeing and prosperity for the Kingdom.Dr. Al-Aiban said: “Under the wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes steady and vigorous steps to boost its well-deserved standing globally, make new national achievements and maintain the security, stability and wellbeing bestowed by Allah Almighty on the Kingdom. These steps are guided by the national and ambitious Vision 2030 that aspires for comprehensive development and global standing.”“During the booming five-year reign of King Salman, the Kingdom witnessed many significant achievements at all levels, notably the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Authority which was able in a short time to make many achievements that enhanced the national cybersecurity ecosystem,” added Dr. Al-Aiban.Concluding his statement, Dr. Al-Aiban pray to Allah Almighty to protect and bless King Salman and his Crown Prince.

Dr. Musaed Bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, the Chairman of National Cybersecurity Authority, Minister of State and member of the Council of Ministers, congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense (may Allah protect them) for announcing the country’s general budget for the fiscal year of (1441/1442) 2020.Dr. Musaed commended the contents of the budget, which confirms the leadership’s devotion to developing the key services for its citizens, diversifying income, raising the quality of life, completing development projects that lead to the 2030 Vision, and reversing its programs and initiatives in the vital and development sectors.His Excellency has also acknowledged the enormous support that government entities have received, as well as the support that NCA has received in order to achieve its goals and carry out its national functions. This has enabled NCA to raise and strengthen the level of national cybersecurity, develop its capabilities, and continuously empower vital and government entities in order to make them more prepared and protected against cyber-attacks. NCA has also made clear efforts to qualify and develop specialized national cadres, and to reach a secure and trusted Saudi cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity.His Excellency concluded his statement by asking Allah to make this a blessed and prosperous year for our country, and that all of its projects and programs help the wide growth that the Kingdom is witnessing under the wise guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince (May Allah bless and protect them).

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) led a cyber drill exercise in 25/12/2019; the exercise included testing cyber incident response procedures in cooperation incident response team with multiple national entities.The exercise simulates a cyber incident where each entity examines their implementation of incident response procedures. This cyber drill intends to improve shared experiences within the national entities, increase their level of readiness, and ensure effective communication flow between relevant entities.This exercise is a part of the National Cybersecurity Authority efforts to strengthen the integration and collaboration between national entities.

National Cybersecurity Academy held a training course for faculty members in Riyadh for 5 days. The training course titled “Virtual Laboratories for Practical Training in Cybersecurity” in order to provide the specialized in cybersecurity and information technology staff members with the necessary tools to build a cybersecurity virtual laboratory, and through it they can simulate cyber-attacks and ways to confront them.Thirty faculty members from thirty Saudi universities attended the training course. It is one of NCA’s various efforts to reinforce cooperation and integration with Saudi universities, in order to build specialized national cybersecurity capabilities.The Academy has launched a number of initiatives to deal with the shortage of human resources and to meet the market needs, in pursuance of protecting the Kingdom’s cyberspace. The Academy, through its CyberPro Program, is training national entities’ staff members and fresh graduates of the cybersecurity and computer fields.The Academy aims to train 20,000 citizens who work, or are going to work, in the cybersecurity field before the end of year 2022. This is to prepare a powerful base of qualified national cadres, which will help in achieving a secure and trusted Saudi cyberspace, which enables growth and prosperity. The goal of this is to support the realization of the Kingdom’s 2030 vision.

The National Cybersecurity Academy has completed a training program for the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense staff specialists and other law enforcement entities in the Kingdom as part of the NCA effort to build capabilities.The Academy aims to train security sector staff and other national law enforcement entities, and it falls within NCA’s primary roles and efforts to achieve online security, safety and stability inside and outside the Kingdom through increasing their level of readiness to protect  from cybersecurity risks  and face the challenges associated and respond to cyber attacks.The Academy program offered specialized training courses in cybersecurity in several levels starting from the foundation level to the advanced level, including courses related to security fields as digital forensic courses , training courses in operating systems and networks their components and functions and other courses,. More than 246 staff from these national entities have benefited from these training programs.The National Academy is working to provide specialized training programs and educational materials for various sectors in the Kingdom, which include the Industrial sector, the health sector, the education sector, law enforcement national agencies, and other sectors.

The international Forum is hosting global policy makers, businesses, investment firms and international organization representatives to discuss how the world’s collective cybersecurity should be maintained in the face of tomorrow’s threats.Over the two days, participants from all over the world will discuss how the issues under the Forum’s five themes (cybersecurity industry, international cyber collaboration, cyber culture, cyber disruption, and cyber threats and resilience) should be understood, and what responses need to be developed to strengthen the integrity of the world’s cyber defenses.Some of the key speakers at GCF who will be talking to the above themes include the Heads of the UK and Singapore governments’ Cybersecurity Authorities, both globally renowned experts in their field, as well the Chairman of Advisory Board of World Economic Forum’s Center for Cybersecurity.Experts from the tech sector include Diana Kelley, Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Field CTO, and Travis Reese, the President of FireEye. Saudi Arabia’s own national cybersecurity champions will also be speaking on the criticality of cybersecurity in their respective fields: Eng. Khalid Alharbi, CISO for Aramco, and Yasser Al Swailem, Cybersecurity VP for Saudi Telecom Company.Speaking about the Forum, the Chairman of the Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority, H.E. Dr. Musaad bin Muhammed Al Aiban, Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, said “We are tremendously excited to host this event and act as a catalyst for cybersecurity cooperation and innovation. The constantly evolving threat landscape requires intensified global cooperation on cybersecurity and the Global Cybersecurity Forum is encouraging global leaders to take meaningful actions to better protect the world’s economies and makes cyberspace safer for all”.Saudi Arabia has steadily increased its cybersecurity capabilities in recent years and is now the most cybersecure state among the Arab nations. The country is looking to further consolidate its position as a regional leader and become a global cybersecurity hub, so the Forum will also bring investors together with cybersecurity business that are developing the defensive technologies needed to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving threats.The Forum, which is convening more than 1200 participants from more than 58 countries will be attended by some of the world’s leading cybersecurity companies, including Microsoft, IBM, and FireEye. The Forum is anticipated to generate significant investments in the cybersecurity industry, accelerating the development of Saudi Arabia’s already rapidly growing cyber sector and supporting the growth of the global cyber industry.The Global Cybersecurity Forum will help bolster global cooperation between regional and global cybersecurity players. Five major MOUs will be signed by NCA with Saudi and international organisations throughout the event to reemphasize and strengthen their commitment to international cybersecurity cooperation.The MoUs being announced illustrate how the Forum is helping fuel growth of the cybersecurity industry, expanding on Saudi Arabia’s existing capacities and creating up-stream growth beyond its borders, not just in jobs, but in knowledge and technological innovation through collaborative initiatives to expand the capacity and develop the technologies needed to keep the world ahead of tomorrow’s threats. The MoUs will allow NCA to provide better cybersecurity training to its youth and collaborate with international organisation on cybersecurity strategies.The MoU between NCA and Global Resilience Federation seeks to enhance cybersecurity protections for critical national infrastructure through improved information sharing and threat mitigation strategies through a national information sharing blueprint.The MoU between NCA and Underwriters Lab is a strategic partnership that will enable the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to further enhance its national capabilities in cyber threat mitigation. The MoUs signed by NCA with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the Saudi Human Resources and Development Fund and NEOM will enable Saudi students to acquire a deep knowledge and understanding of cybersecurity matters, increasing the pipeline of qualified cybersecurity professionals for the growing cybersecurity industry.

During the Global Cybersecurity Forum, organized under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness, the Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar, announced two global initiatives to boost cybersecurity sponsored by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The first is the Crown Prince’s international initiative to protect children in cyberspace and the second is the Crown Prince’s initiative to empower women in the cybersecurity sector.The first initiative revolves around the development of best practices, policies and programs to protect children in cyberspace. This initiative comes as a response to counter the growing cyber threats that target children while they are online and expose them to various cybercrimes, out of the sight of their families. This includes exploiting them, making them victims of abuse and committing crimes against them, as well as influencing and pushing them to adopt extremist and terrorist ideologies that pose a danger to countries and societies. These crimes against children also include cyber bullying, identity theft and online fraud.One of the main goals of the initiative is to develop programs and build global partnerships to promote the achievements of the desired goals globally and drive the adoption by teachers, families and other decision makers of best practices to protect children in cyberspace.Commenting on the initiative, the Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority, His Excellency Dr. Khalid Alsabti, said: “Considering the steady growth in the cybersecurity capabilities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we must utilize our expertise to benefit the global community and to set up the appropriate standards, procedures and awareness campaigns to protect children in cyberspace. According to the latest studies, we see an increase in cyber threats, a rise in crimes against children and increasing numbers of victims of exploitation, extortion, fraud and radicalization, on the Internet.Therefore, there is an urgent need for the international community to view this initiative as a very important positive step that requires deeper cooperation, solidarity and joint action to achieve its goals."The second initiative is empowering women in cybersecurity. It calls for stepping up efforts to encourage and support women in cybersecurity and enabling them to obtain the education and qualification necessary to allow them to participate effectively in building the cybersecurity sector and to assume leadership positions within it.Programs to enhance the role and empowerment of women in cybersecurity will be of great importance and represent a major boost to the quality and diversity of skills in cybersecurity and contribute to addressing the shortage of skills and talents in cybersecurity internationally.

Dr. Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban, Minister of State and member of the Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia, and the Chairman of National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), has expressed his thanks and appreciation on behalf of NCA’s staff and directors to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for sponsoring the Global Cybersecurity Forum, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mohammad bin Salman, Crown Prince and Minister of Defence, for his support in convening the GCF.His Excellency has also expressed his deepest gratitude to His Royal Highness, Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, the Governor of Riyadh, for attending the opening ceremony on behalf of the King – may god protect them.Dr. Al Aiban welcomed Saudi’s guests participating and speaking in the GCF, as well as the international cybersecurity officials, experts, leaders of governmental institutes and major international companies, academicians and investors.He also thanked them on behalf of the GCF and its organizers, remarking the commitment and attendance of their highness’ and excellences’, leaders of the sector, CEOs of national companies, as well as the officials and academicians in the Kingdom.Dr. Al Aiban emphasized that cybersecurity is one of the nations’ priorities today, which requires concentrated international efforts and collaboration to achieve the highest cybersecurity levels, and he stated that the importance of this forum stems from a national level as it happens to coincide with the Kingdom’s year of presidency of the G20.His Excellency pointed that the Crown Prince’s initiative for protecting children in the cyber world confirms his Royal Highness’ eagerness to better serving humanity through actively participating in the efforts of protecting future generations against those who target them in the cyber world.His other initiative for empowering women in the cybersecurity sector is considered a significant support to the efforts in this area.Expressing his gratitude to HRH’s two initiatives, believing they will have clear positive impact in protecting societies and enhancing the level of cybersecurity now and in the future.His Excellency explained that the registration of over 3500 participants in this forum is in indicator of the global community’s commitment and the increase of awareness regarding the topics discussed in the forum. This is proven by the participation of over 120 speakers from the most prominent leaders and experts in cybersecurity, who are going to share their experiences and ideas across over 50 sessions.He added that the GCF will shed light on innovation and investment in cybersecurity, which is essential for enhancing research and supporting information control, detection, analysis, and keeping up with the ever-changing trends in this evolving world.His Excellency concluded by thanking and welcoming the guests and participants again, from the Kingdom and around the globe on all the different levels, hoping that the GCF will help in achieving a better, more secure cyber world.

During the Global Cybersecurity Forum, which concluded yesterday in Riyadh, the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), the government entity in charge of cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia, signed several prominent MoUs that promise to have a positive impact on the cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia.NCA signed an MoU with NEOM, to join efforts in a strategic cybersecurity partnership aimed at building capabilities and enhancing training on cybersecurity technologies for smart cities. This partnership will provide the talent necessary to support the upcoming smart city initiatives across the Kingdom. The Authority has also signed an MoU with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology “KAUST” with the aim of enhancing the quality of research in cybersecurity, it also includes developing training and educational programs to build national capabilities specialized in cybersecurity.A memorandum of understanding was signed between NCA and the Global Resilience Federation aimed at enabling better knowledge sharing and developing its information sharing and analysis capabilities. In addition the partnership will provide extensive training to more than 500 cyber specialists.Additionally, NCA has signed an MoU with Underwriter Laboratories to share experience in testing labs, and work on a national capability-building program to foster local talent.Finally, the Authority signed an MoU with the Human Resources Development Fund to establish a strategic cooperation targeted at training national cybersecurity specialists and improving their qualifications to work in the CyberSecurity field.About the Global Cybersecurity Forum:Taking place in Saudi Arabia’s G20 Presidency year, and under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Global Cybersecurity Forum is a catalyst platform designed to create a more resilient and better cyberworld for all. By facilitating multi stakeholder global dialogue, the GCF will shape the conversation on cybersecurity and create the foundations for greater cyber resilience, capacity and management of the threat landscape.The GCF will highlight and enable discussions on investment and economic opportunities created within the cybersecurity industry. It will also serve to create an action-oriented roadmap that sets the stage for cybersecurity in the 21st century.

The first edition of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) concluded its activities with participation of more than 120 speakers and 3500 attendees. The Forum was conducted at the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and organized by the National Cybersecurity Authority of Saudi Arabia (NCA).The Forum witnessed the announcement of two initiatives by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, The Crown Prince of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . The first initiative is about the protection of children in the cyberspace, whereas the second is about the empowerment of women in the cyber security field. Both initiatives received remarkable recognition and support among participants who expressed their positive feedback for the expected positive impact of those two initiatives at both national and international levels.The Forum concluded its activities by announcing the "Riyadh Declaration for Cybersecurity", which encourages all to support a number of goals and recommendations for a better cyberspace for everyone.Throughout the Forum's two consecutive days in Riyadh, several important topics were discussed including: raising cyber resilience and capabilities at the national level, building of the capabilities necessary for cyber resilience for global businesses, the role of cybersecurity as an enabler for the digital economy, the importance of international collaboration to create a safer cyber world, industrial systems’ cyber threats and ways to address them, the protection of critical national infrastructures, the future of global cybersecurity, the importance of cooperation between governments and private sector to enhance the cybersecurity ecosystem, confronting cybercrime and understanding its nature, and the importance of facing cyber challenges, and the ways to develop cybersecurity skills and workforce.The Forum also included dedicated sessions about developing skills and preparing human capabilities in cybersecurity, and ways to bridge the gap of current and future workforce needs, protection of children on the Internet, participation and empowerment of women in cybersecurity, and women's role in bridging the gender gap in this field, and cybersecurity in health care, energy, financial services, telecommunications and smart cities.The participants of the Forum emphasized on the importance of seizing the economic and social development opportunities of connected global systems and rapidly evolving technologies, the necessity of cooperation to face the common challenges related to cyber risks and cybercrimes, and the importance of scientific and research collaboration as well as knowledge exchange in order to perform better practices in cybersecurity, the importance of determination to act and confront criminal behaviors in cyberspace that exploit the global Internet to incite extremism, violence and terrorism, the importance of the continuation of the GCF as a global platform for exchanging ideas and experiences, launching initiatives to enhance cybersecurity, and creating mechanisms for international cooperation and joint action for both the public and private sectors.Participants expressed their appreciation of the Saudi Arabian government's efforts to make the first edition of GCF a success emphasizing at the same time on the importance of making the GCF a recurring event in Riyadh.

Within the second phase of the Cybersecurity training Initiative (CyberPro), the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) has launched training programs for judicial authorities that included training courses for specialists in those entities such as the Ministry of Justice representatives, lawyers and others.The training courses include specialized courses in cybersecurity covering different levels starting from foundation levels to the advanced levels. The training courses also include training about the Saudi Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (SCyWF), which was issued by the NCA earlier this year, this training focused on the job role of (Cyber Security Law Specialist). The training defined the job roles within this function in addition to skills, knowledge and abilities required for it.The Academy also participated in providing training courses addressed to specialists in security and judicial aspects, in partnership with Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, focusing on aspects of cybersecurity in the security and judicial fields.CyberPro initiative was launched by the National Academy of Cybersecurity with the aim of developing the skills of national cadres working in the field of cybersecurity. The Academy’s target is to train 20,000 staff working in cybersecurity or ready to work in this sector before 2022. The goal of this is to create a strong base of qualified cadres, to help reach a secure, resilient and trusted Saudi cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity of Saudi Vision 2030.