Call for joint efforts to fight cyber attacks in Oman

Muscat: Oman was targeted with more than 5 million cyber attacks in 2015, according to the Annual Report 2015 by the Information Technology Authority (ITA), which was published last week.
The report said ITA’s Information Security Division had prevented more than 4.8 million attacks against government networks and more than 398,000 attacks against government portals in Oman.
Oman needs joint efforts to protect itself against these cyber attacks, as the country’s private and government sectors are increasingly focusing on internet technologies to serve their customers, said attendees at the IT Security Roadshow held in Muscat on Thursday. The event was organised by International Data Corporation (IDC) in association with ITA, and was aimed at creating awareness on cyber security in both the government and private sectors. Dr. Badr Al Mandhari, director general of the Information Security Centre at ITA, told the Times of Oman (TOO) that everyone in Oman is under threat.
“Oman has been targeted many times by cyber attacks, both from inside and outside, both government networks and individuals. It is not only the government that is being targeted, everyone is being targeted,” he said.
Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA, said Omanis have become dependent on Information Communication Technology (ICT), as has the government in its dealings with citizens, therefore, cyber security has become a top priority.
“ICT has become our lifestyle, but also a threat. If we don’t put cyber security at the top of our list, the attackers and hackers will take control. They could shut down governments’ infrastructure or even our homes, our cars, which are increasingly connected. Without collaboration among all of us, we’ll be the weakest link in the chain,” he said.
Al Mandhari also referred to the recent cyber attacks targeting banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council, such as in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman.
“It’s a serious concern and we have to work very hard to address cyber security in the country and all efforts must be joint. “It’s not only ITA which is responsible, but it’s everyone’s responsibility.
Al Mandhari also pointed to the anti-cybercrime law, which has been developed by ITA in association with the Ministry of Legal Affairs. “We need to work with other government and non-government entities to understand what are the technical requirements and standards to counter cybercrime,” he said.
Kalle Bjorn, Director of Systems Engineering Middle East at Fortinet, told TOO that collaboration within the private sector, even between competitors, is needed to protect Oman against cyber attacks. “There’s a lot of security spending in Oman, but the problem is that you can never be a 100 per cent secure,” he said. Bjorn said more advanced protection than for example firewalls is needed and even competitors in the market have to integrate their cyber security strategies.
“The idea is to share information among different vendors. The other side, the bad guys, is also teaming up, they are sharing information.”