The Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) hosted a virtual workshop for officials and experts from government entities in Dubai to outline the Dubai Cyber Security Index (DCI). The (DCI) was recently launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, to support the overall performance of electronic and cyber security in government organizations within Dubai.

The workshop was held as part of DESC’s strategic plan aimed at achieving the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in making Dubai the smartest, happiest and safest city in cyberspace. The initiative was implemented as part of the framework set by His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai, who emphasized in a recent meeting that the protection of electronic and digital borders is no less important than the protection of land and sea borders. He also added that dealing with the challenges of cyber and electronic security is a common responsibility to provide individuals and society a high degree of protection from cyber threats as it is important to consolidate and synergise the efforts of various stakeholders.

During the workshop, participants learned about the mechanism behind the Index, which is the first of its kind in the world, and connects the systems and networks of government entities in Dubai to the Security Operations Center at DESC. This enables the authorities to address the threats by periodically sharing with them actionable security advisories.

One of the key objectives of the Index is to enhance the readiness of government entities in dealing with various cyber threat scenarios. It also enhances their cyber security systems by utilizing advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies and Big Data analysis to anticipate potential cyber threats. Operated and supervised by specialised UAE national analysts at DESC, The Index measures government entities performance in several areas, including rapid response to security alerts, number of incidents resolved, and amount of data associated with the Security Operations Center.

"The workshop’s aim was to gather relevant officials, cyber security experts and specialists under the Index umbrella, to enhance cooperation and coordination between government entities in cyber security and introduce them to the mechanism and objectives of the Index," said Engineer Hassan Abdullah, Director of Security Systems at DESC. "It comes in line with DESC’s efforts to provide a secure cyber space in the emirate."

"We are working towards ensuring efficiency and accuracy by promoting healthy competition between government entities in cyber security and in developing their capabilities in this area. This is in line with the Index’s objectives to raise Dubai’s reputation and status as the most electronically secure city in the world, which requires continuous collaboration between various authorities in direct coordination with DESC," added Abdullah.

(DCI)  will further raise the security and safety standards of Dubai’s electronic infrastructure and encourages the development of innovative solutions and smart protection systems that can identify vulnerabilities. This is particularly important in a world characterised by a constantly evolving technology landscape and is increasingly dependent on advanced solutions such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and Big Data – all of which requires the existence of mechanisms that ensure a secure cyber space.

The (DCI) is aligned with the Dubai Cyber Security Strategy’s goal to protect Dubai from a range of cybersecurity risks and support the emirate’s economic growth. It is also part of the city’s efforts to drive rapid technological progress and digital transformation.