Oman Data Park launches Cyber Security Centre
The Cyber Security Centre was commissioned by Oman Data Park, the country’s leading cloud computing company, at Knowledge Oasis Muscat on Wednesday.
The centre, which was commissioned under the patronage of Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Futtaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, seeks to provide IT services, enhance managed security services, including a 24/7 cybersecurity operations and a network operations team, managed by an elite team of Omani experts.
The enhanced focus on the newly commissioned centre will drive the company’s determination for higher security activities as well as preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution and Gig economy.
Maqbool al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park, said the centre will enhance Oman Data Park’s services and contribute to strengthening the company’s position in the Sultanate as a leader in cloud computing.
Al Wahaibi pointed out the various challenges the company has faced since launching its operations in 2012 to increase awareness of cloud services and how the company has achieved success.
“Managed data centre services and accompanying cloud services are vital parts of the Fourth Industrial Revolution axis, whose features are emerging on the ground such as online shopping, robot-managed enterprises, self-automated vehicles, smart digital industries, assets and sensitive resources such as oilfields, power stations, logistics, aviation, banks and other sectors.”
It is no secret that as technology evolves, security risks become high as its threat impacts are not limited to individuals and institutions, but extends to national security and economic resources of countries.
“In order for the Sultanate to maintain its advanced position as a preferred investment destination, by enjoying the stable security and political environment that has been established by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, we must strive to continue the development of the cyber security system,” he said.
Oman Data Park, he said, is determined to invest heavily in this field, along with the efforts of the competent institutions in the State, to provide digital security protection by establishing a specialised cybersecurity centre working side by side with the relevant institutions.
Al Wahaibi further added, “The Oman Data Park Cyber Security Centre focuses on four main areas: educational aspects through the release of free periodic reports, which contain the most important types of actual security risks, offering training courses for individuals and institutions, and providing security services. The centre will also link with other local and international centres to identify the most important potential security risks in cyberspace to reduce their occurrence in an early stage.”
Maitham al Lawati, General Manager of the Cyber Security Center at Oman Data Park, made a presentation on ODP’S cyber security capabilities, highlighting the major attacks in 2018 such as e-mail spoofing, DDOS, targeted malware, counterfeit mobile applications, sales of stolen credentials in the black market, to name a few.
“The threat levels are always on the rise and our customers look forward to maintaining their safety. This is why we are preparing for the future with this newly-commissioned Cyber Security Centre where we will continue to offer an even more advanced level of Intelligence, protection and mitigation to our present and future clients.’’
He further thanked the supporting partners Fortinet, Cisco and Menainfosec for enabling the cyber security offerings.
According to a new survey of risk managers and workers by the Depository Trust and the Clearinghouse Corp, the biggest threat to markets in 2019 is the threat of a cybersecurity attack.
In today’s interconnected world, no business can ignore such threats as ransom demand, phishing, malware and others.
The commissioning of the Cyber Security Centre is also a celebration of Oman Data Park’s achievements as a leading player in the data centre services sector in Oman, whether it is a government company, a private company or even a small and medium enterprise operating in or outside the Sultanate.
ODP is fully equipped to serve with cost-effective and secure IT needs and lead the customers’ business into tomorrow while they comfortably focus on their core business activities.
In addition, Oman Data Park partners with qualified vendors to provide comprehensive security services and threat analysis for proactive services.
The company currently operates three Tier-3 global data centres located in the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) in Rusayl, Wattayah, and Duqm Districts. The data centre provides a diverse set of services such as Co-location, Managed Security, Cloud and Disaster Recovery services to name a few.
At present, Oman Data Park serves a large number of businesses, including major banks and oil and gas companies.
The winner of the 2018-19 Telecom Innovations Award for Cyber Security, ODP was highlighted by Gartner as a key player in the GCC for Public Cloud Computing. The company’s services are also ISO 27001/ISO 2000 certified and PCIDSS and EU Gdpr-ready. and reactive security
Maqbool al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park, said the centre will enhance Oman Data Park’s services and contribute to strengthening the company’s position in the Sultanate as a leader in cloud computing.