At a glance.
- Saudi plans for enhancing the Kingdom's cybersecurity.
- China introduces rebrand of Internet protocol.
Saudi Arabia’s plans for enhancing its cybersecurity framework.
The war in Ukraine has Saudi officials gearing up for an increase in cyberattacks that could test the country’s digital defense capabilities. Forty new cybersecurity positions have already been recently added to the nation’s stable, and Majed Al-Sahli, a specialist in strategy and international cooperation at the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), stressed the need for more cybersecurity experts to support national security. “The strategy is based on several foundations, namely processes, procedures, techniques and human cadres,” Al-Sahli told Asharq Al-Awsat. In addition to the new positions, created in collaboration with the General Authority for Statistics and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, national partnerships have aided in the establishment of the Saudi framework for cybersecurity forces. At a recent economic forum, Al-Sahilia also reviewed NCA-developed controls for cloud computing, operational systems, e-commerce, and remote work, the need for which has increased with the pandemic. He also noted authority initiatives involving capacity building, risk reduction, and the democratization of cybersecurity.
China introduces rebrand of Internet protocol.
For years Beijing has attempted to use the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency responsible for the standardization of information and communication technologies, as a forum for engaging other nations interested in asserting increased government control over internet architecture. ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference is currently in full-swing, and Euractiv reports that China is using the event as a launchpad for its newest proposal, which hinges on the concept of IPv6+, an enhanced version of internet protocol IPv6. “IPv6+ can realize more open and active technology and service innovation, more efficient and flexible networking and service provision, more excellent performance and user experience,” read a footnote in a government resolution modification introducing the concept two weeks ago. The new protocol boasts three advantages: more efficient allocation of information across the network; integration of other technologies for organizing network resources; and integration of innovative solutions. Human rights activists, however, say IPv6+ is just IPv6 repackaged to avoid the opposition it initially received, and to appeal to the concerns of regions in the Global South who have been slow in implementing IPv6. Mehwish Ansari, head of digital at human rights organization ARTICLE 19, claims, “IPv6+ and new IP are the same song, different verse.”