ictQATAR to host workshop on building National CERTs in GCC

The workshop is focused on building national computer security incident management capabilities in each GCC member nation and establishing a regional framework for cooperation among the national CERTs of the GCC countries.

National CERT teams are responsible for improving information security through training information technology staff, increasing the public's awareness of information security, responding to information security incidents, and working directly with organizations within their states.

This workshop is a direct result of the recent GCC decision to form a GCC CERT located in Doha that will serve as a focal point for all the national CERTs formed by the GCC member states. At that GCC Conference it was decided that Q-CERT will host the GCC CERT under a steering committee from the GCC.

As per the decision of the GCC, Q-CERT will assist other GCC member nations to establish their own computer security incident management and response capabilities as well as provide the infrastructure, training, and initial resources for the development of the GCC-CERT as it establishes its organizational structure and management.

Q-CERT was established in Qatar in 2005 by ictQATAR. Q-CERT was formed in close collaboration with the CERT/CC from the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. It joins the international community of over 170 CERTs and Computer Security Incident Response Teams. 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.