RTA inks MoU with Computer Emergency Response Team

The MoU covers key electronic points related to the services which have to be in place such as guidance, education, awareness, consultancies, monitoring, responses, researches and analysis.

The Agreement was signed on behalf of the RTA by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director, and for the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority by the Director General H.E. Mohammed Nasir Al Ghanim, in the presence of several CEOs and directors from both sides.

Mattar Al Tayer said:

"Signing this MoU aims at improving the standards and practices of information security, protecting IT infrastructure from the risks and attacks of internet hackers."

He added, "This MoU will contribute to achieving a host of objectives such as assisting RTA in responding to e-security risks, enhancing preventative measures, and cooperating in monitoring and tracking e-security threats. It also acts as a communication channel between various authorities and departments in the UAE and boosts the cooperation in the exchange of expertise in the field of information security."

"According to this MoU, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority will provide consultancy services in the field of IT security, establish an early warning center to detect IT risks in the country and the region, and communicate with RTA to take necessary precautionary measures. It will also attend to promoting security awareness among RTA employees through courses and ads, and seek to enhance partnerships with other entities in the UAE as part of efforts to shield the e-networks," said Al Tayer.

Al Tayer went on to say, "RTA had assumed the responsibility of upgrading customer service and was therefore keen on diversifying the channels of delivering such services at the top of which was the internet. RTA had developed a comprehensive strategy to channel and provide these services online in keeping with the vision of the e-Government of Dubai. RTA worked out a strategy based on fast delivery and customer centricity. It had therefore teamed up with the e-Government to introduce RTA online services and apply the metrics and benchmarks of the e-Government of Dubai, such as Quality of Online Services Document."

He pointed out, "The start was the launch of RTA website in December 2005, two months after the establishment of the RTA. Afterwards, RTA unleashed RTA e-portal after going through the best international practices in the industry. The project was finalized and the temporary website was replaced by the e-portal in July 2007, meanwhile a committee was set up to draw up RTA e-governance strategy. Accordingly, the strategic plan and strategic objectives were set together with the roadmap of providing RTA online services, taking into consideration the ongoing process of upgrading RTA e-portal, adopting proper plans, and taking firm and consistent steps to realize the intended objective."

"RTA has completed a 100% electronic transition of a wide spectrum of services already agreed with Dubai e-Government. RTA is currently considering additional services to be provided online and preparing the required work plan," said Al Tayer in a final remark.

For his part the Director General of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority H.E. Mohammed Nasir Al Ghanim said: "The strategy of the General of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority provides for a secure and smooth celestial support for the UAE, including all nationals and residents. This MoU is part and parcel of the core tasks to deliver this strategy.

"The Computer Emergency Response Team will boost the electronic celestial security, promote the awareness of information security across the UAE, build national expertise in the field of information security, accident management, abstracts of computer science, and establish a respected central communication point to submit reports related to the security of the UAE celestial electronic security. The UAE CERT will seek to establish a national center to diffuse the information related to the electronic celestial security accidents, threats, and weak points. It will also contribute to setting up research teams of computer security, and coordinate with the counterpart research team and related organizations locally or abroad," concluded Al Ghanim.