The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Advances Commitment to Cybersecurity
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to advance its strategic commitment to cybersecurity, led by its National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), the driver of many of the country’s cyber protection initiatives. The NCA, formed in 2017, has in the past year released a number of regulations such as the new one Personal Data Protection Law 2023, Data Cybersecurity Controls, Operational Technology Cybersecurity Controls, the cybersecurity toolkit 2.0, and the guide to essential cybersecurity controls implementation.The level of care and attention directed towards data protection, whether from a security or governance perspective, is experiencing a renaissance. This is not limited to one industry, such as energy or banking, but spans the breadth of the digital ecosystem across the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has also focused heavily on protecting national entities and building a capable cyber workforce. The Kingdom’s growing array of regulatory tools, toolkits, and guidelines has been recognized globally by the International Telecommunications Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index, ranking Saudi Arabia in second place after the United States. Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in bolstering its cybersecurity infrastructure over the last year. This year also saw a busy roster of industry events held in the kingdom, such as the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF), Black Hat Middle East, Intersec, LEAP, and World CyberCon. In June 2023, GCF launched a sister body devoted to strengthening international cooperation in cybersecurity: the Global Cybersecurity Forum Institute (GCFI). The Institute aims to harness the potential of cyberspace and support efforts to boost cyber security on a global scale.
The GCFI initiative will channel efforts into policy, technology, and practical perspectives, and will help position the kingdom as a cybersecurity role model globally. Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s most-attacked countries by cyber threat actors. The losses suffered by Gulf countries from cyberattacks are among the highest globally. Saudi Arabia’s attractiveness to cybercriminals can be attributed to several factors, including the country’s strategic importance, economic significance, political landscape, and abundant natural resources.
Like many other nations, Saudi Arabia is facing a severe cyber skills shortage. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is soaring, presenting a significant opportunity for ambitious Saudi youths to embark on a lucrative career path in cybersecurity. To this end, the Saudi government is investing heavily in initiatives to enhance digital skills, including a $1.2 billion plan to train 100,000 youths in fields like cybersecurity. Efforts to promote Saudization and female empowerment align with Saudi Vision 2030, with women constituting 45% of the cybersecurity workforce.