The Information Security Committee initiative is a key pillar in Dubai’s quest to remain a top business hub for the region. The tiny country would like to increase confidence among investors and business that emirate systems can protect their data and secure government transactions, particularly those conducted online.
The issue of multinational business safety is in the spotlight recently thanks to an uptick in hacking offensives related to the regional unrest in Syria. Also, two oil and gas giants – Aramco and RasGas – were recently compromised by malware.
The committee held a meeting this week, the second since its establishment in May, with the goal of settling upon “a unified policy to secure government information and information systems as well as providing a safe and reliable environment for the storage of information, while creating greater awareness about the value of information security.”
The security policy will be adopted across all 30 Dubai government departments within three months of approval, to bolster consistency and cross-system communication and protections.
"The aim of this meeting was to have a closer look into the information security system in Dubai government, in preparation for its final adoption and implementation across the emirate”, said H.E. Ahmed Bin Humaidan, deputy director of Dubai Ruler's Court and director general of Dubai eGovernment. “This will allow us to create an integrated strategy and a unified policy to protect all information and information systems in Dubai, especially those related to the government."
The resolution that mandated the security system and the committee also created the Department of Dubai e-Government in May, which will oversee the implementation of the policy and conduct regular reviews of the project. It will be responsible for developing an effective strategy to enhance partnerships, exchange of information and expertise, and cooperation between government bodies and the private sector.