One of the strategic plans of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) is to expand Qatar’s digital culture across all demographic segments, it was announced yesterday at the third Annual Information Security Conference for the Financial Sector.
The event, inaugurated by HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, gathered Qatari and international experts from renowned institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift).
According to HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, the ministry’s strategic plan “aims to spread the digital culture and achieve 100% digital comprehensiveness for all demographic segments, including temporary workers, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, to raise awareness of the benefits of information technology, communications, and electronic protection”.
Speaking at the event, al-Sulaiti underscored the “major role” played by digital technology in creating “an innovative and diversified economy.” He noted that Internet penetration in Qatar’s banking and financial services has reached 100%, adding that high Internet usage “would help businesses reach new markets.”
“It is expected that Qatar will witness an increase in the use of ICT and Information Technology, as well as the Internet between businesses and their clients in Qatar. Forty percent of businesses in Qatar use the Internet in their banking and electronic operations, about a fifth of those businesses use the Internet to access other services,” the minister said.
Al-Sulaiti lauded the government’s “indefinite support” in providing the country with the benefits of technological advancements.
The minister emphasised that there is now increased public awareness on information security, and that the risks of cyberattacks, perpetrated by an international network of cybercriminals, are widespread.
This was reiterated by QNB Group CEO Ali Ahmed al-Kuwari, who called on the financial industry to exercise vigilance against any form of cyberattack: “We don’t know how and when the attack will take place but we know for sure that these attacks will inevitably come.”
Lord Stevens, former head of the Metropolitan Police – UK, said: “The world continues to change, and with it the methods of criminality (…) Today’s policing and security takes place against the backdrop of social transformation, including global economic downturn, widening inequalities, and the impact of social media.
“And while conventional methods of crime have formed, new forms of criminal activities have risen. Cybercrime, fraud, money laundering and terrorism have grown rapidly and just last year we have seen an increase probably beyond anything any of us have seen in our experience. And therefore, such an increase is a danger to us all and has to be countered.”
Al-Sulaiti stressed that the Qatar government had already developed and adopted measures to counter cyberattacks. Among these initiatives is the Qatar National Cyber Security Strategy, he said.
Speaking earlier during the programme, Doha Bank Group CEO Dr R Seetharaman said: “In view of the recent cybersecurity incidents and to ensure the continuity of business in a disaster scenario, the Qatar Central Bank came up with an initiative, which was mandated for all banks in Qatar.”
These initiatives included the conduct of cybersecurity maturity assessment and assessment of the business availability posture of banks in the event of a disaster, Seetharaman added.