Cybersecurity exercise held to bolster telecom sector resilience
An event called National Cybersecurity Exercise was held in Muscat on Wednesday aimed at enhancing security across the telecommunications sector. Major telecom companies, including Omantel, Ooredoo and Vodafone Oman, participated.
Inaugurating the event, Omar bin Hamdan al Ismaili, CEO of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, said, "This exercise was organised in collaboration with key stakeholders to assess the telecommunications sector's ability to pinpoint and rectify vulnerabilities, and to evaluate the preparedness of our infrastructure and legislative frameworks."
He described the exercise as "a sophisticated practice within the sector and a chance to identify and address existing gaps".
Ismaili emphasised the dynamic and evolving nature of the information technology and communications sector, highlighting the need for cooperation among both public and private sector entities to serve the community effectively.
Elaborating on the exercise's specifics, Dr Ahmed Hammad al Kalbani, Dean of Advanced Cybersecurity Academy, said, "The focus is on communications through a scenario that encompasses multiple dimensions: cybersecurity, regulatory compliance and management of public perception linked to these scenarios."
Maqbool bin Salem al Wahaibi, CEO of Oman Data Park, informed that the exercise was part of a two-day Oman Cybersecurity Conference, which also started on Wednesday. "It is one of the pivotal components of the conference, simulating potential cybersecurity and hacking scenarios."
Wahaibi stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration and teamwork to achieve optimal outcome of cybersecurity efforts.
The exercise underscored Oman’s proactive stance in fortifying its cybersecurity infrastructure, ensuring that the telecom sector remains robust against emerging threats.