The CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, Amin al-Nasser, called for strengthening the vital role of cyber security in the energy industry, noting that cyber threats have become a major risk and represent a top priority for the Saudi oil giant.
In remarks during the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh, Nasser said: “Cyber terrorism, which is a growing terrorism that transcends the borders of institutions and countries, and cybersecurity issues are a top priority in the energy industry.”
“We, at Aramco, follow strict procedures to enhance our cybersecurity, and we have learned a lot from the major hacking that occurred against the company eight years ago,” he added.
He noted that the company followed procedures and implemented monitoring and control systems using artificial intelligence, underlining the importance of partnerships with leading authorities in the field of cybersecurity, as well as training and continuous development for the staff.
Al-Nasser said that no institution could solely face cyber risks.
“It requires significant cooperation and partnership between all relevant stakeholders. It is therefore necessary to accelerate the development of a clear global framework that constitutes an international legal reference in cybersecurity governance and enhances measures against entities involved in cyber-terrorism,” he emphasized.
He continued: “Aligning cybersecurity policy, collaborating on technology, and sharing information and experience beyond the fence, is non-negotiable… To beat a network, we need to be a network.”
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the director of the cybersecurity department at Saudi Telecom Company said that the company “faces 400 million malicious communication attempts per month, and it receives about 16 million harmful email messages.”
The attacks come from inside and outside the Kingdom, the official said.
