Q-CERT, Qatar's national organisation focusing on computer and information security incident response, and SingCERT, the centre for security incident response for Singapore, have agreed to cooperate to improve information ...
Singapore, 20 April 2006 | For Immediate Release
Q-CERT, Qatar's national organisation focusing on computer and information security incident response, and SingCERT, the centre for security incident response for Singapore, have agreed to cooperate to improve information security in both nations. This agreement for cooperation is a direct outcome of the agreement signed on 26 March 2006 between the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts of Singapore and Qatar's ictQATAR (the Supreme Council of Information and Communications Technology.
A CERT is an organisation dedicated to responding to computer security risks by responding to emergencies and new threats as well as by improving the capability of individuals and organisations to ward off threats to their computing systems availability, security and integrity.
Q-CERT and SingCERT are both focused on improving information security and availability through education, capacity building, awareness, and outreach to their communities. They will improve their nation's use of computing technology by providing information, education, training, and direct services to public and private organizations. By cooperating, these two organisations can exchange information and alerts to expand the knowledge and experience of each organisation and contribute research and knowledge to the greater international community of CERTs.
Dr. Rashid Al-Ali, the ictQATAR Q-CERT Program Manager said: "The driving force behind cooperation on information security is the reality that the world's information infrastructure is interconnected and interdependent. While it is imperative that we find ways to assist and improve each of our nations' computing infrastructure, we must also find the ways and means to reach across national borders and learn from and assist other nations that face the same problems. By joining and contributing to this international community of cooperating experts, Qatar will bring that expertise and cooperation to improve what will become the central nerve center of our nation."
"The cooperation between SingCERT and Q-CERT paves the way for greater exchange of ideas on cyber security vigilance with countries such as Qatar. This is important as cyber space is borderless and it is imperative for CERTs to establish trusted contact and working relationships with their regional counterparts," said Mr Martin Khoo, Head, SingCERT.
JOINTLY ISSUED BY by Q-CERT and
SingCERT
About SingCERT
SingCERT was established in 1997 and has a history of reaching out to the region to improve information security. They were one of the founding members of the Asia Pacific CERT (APCERT) grouping which is a trusted contact network of computer security experts in the Asia Pacific region with the aim to improve the region's awareness and competency in relation to computer security incidents. SingCERT is a member of the APCERT Steering Committee and plays an important role in helping to promote and shape the direction of the CERT engagement in the Asia Pacific region. SingCERT also works closely with the CERTs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the area of improving the cyber security readiness and preparedness of the member countries.
About Q-Cert
Q-CERT was established in Qatar in 2005 by ictQATAR ictQATAR's mission is to promote the development of an advanced ICT society through infrastructure and human capital development, the delivery of e-services and the establishment of a regulatory environment that is conducive to sustainable growth and offers benefits all users.As the premiere national Computer Emergency Response Team in the Middle East. Q-CERT was formed in close collaboration with the CERT/CC from the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. It will join the international community of over 170 CERTs and Computer Security Incident Response Teams as a full-fledged contributing member in 2006. Q-CERT will be a world-class center of excellence in Information Security conducting national and regional programs in cyber threat and vulnerability reporting, incident response and security improvement in order to build cyber security capability and capacity in government and private sector organizations in Qatar and the Gulf Region.
For media clarification, please contact:
Ho Hwei Ling
Assistant Director, Corporate & Marketing Communications
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Tel: +65 6211 1996
Fax: +65 6211 2227
Email: ho_hwei_ling@imda.gov.sg
Elaine Farah
Communications Department
ictQatar
Tel: +974 446 1822
Fax: +974 441 0153
Email: elaine@ict.gov.qa
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