Qatar hosts Common Criteria International Conference for first time in MENA

The Common Criteria International Conference (ICCC), hosted by the State of Qatar under the sponsorship of the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), has officially kicked off in Doha.Taking place for the first time in the Middle East, the conference will run until Nov. 6, 2024. It represents a premier annual event that gathers cybersecurity experts, government officials, industry professionals, researchers, and academics from around the world to discuss and collaborate on cybersecurity standards, practices, and technologies.The conference aims to enhance engagement among the community of common standards, relevant regulatory bodies, organizations and members of the Global Standard Agreement, in addition to policymakers.During the inauguration ceremony, Director of National Cyber Assurance and Governance Affairs at the NCSA, Eng. Dana Yousef Al Abdulla, gave a presentation titled Qatar's vision for enhancing the cybersecurity resilience of the supply chain. The presentation reviewed the State of Qatar's journey in cybersecurity, initiated with a combination of fundamentals, including regulatory legislation and tools, along with Qatar's accession to Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) in 2015.Additionally, the presentation included a detailed explanation of the State of Qatar's vision for the upcoming period, particularly regarding the issuance of the National Cyber Security Strategy 2024-2030 to achieve these milestones. It outlined the core pillars underpinning the strategy, as well as the key objectives that the State of Qatar will focus on to enhance the cybersecurity system as a whole. There was a strong emphasis on the importance of collaboration among state institutions and the need to explore the next steps.The conference discussed a myriad of critical topics, foremost among them the increasing challenges facing the international common criteria community, the enhanced solutions developed to address these challenges, and the progress in advancing and operating international technological communities. It emphasized the importance of understanding customer requirements to ensure that products meet market demands regarding the necessary cybersecurity standards and testing methods. Additionally, updates related to the common standards scheme were announced, along with the sharing of progress reports among participating states and roadmaps for the upcoming phases.On the margins of the conference, NCSA staff held side meetings with a range of relevant institutions to discuss how regulators of critical sectors can capitalize on the common standards, as well as the services provided by the Qatari Common Standards Program for companies.The conference represents an incredible opportunity to showcase locally advanced innovations and technologies, thereby attracting investments and business opportunities in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to create a knowledge-based economy. It also offers opportunities for companies and professionals to grasp the latest industry developments and benefit from the lectures and panel discussions at this event.The common standards consist of a set of guidelines and international specifications that provide a framework to assess and adopt IT security. These standards ensure that IT products meet the required security standards for the programs and technological systems of government bodies and other sectors.