National Cybersecurity Authority Develops Skills of Over 10,000 Saudis Through CyberIC

The National Cybersecurity Academy trained about 6,000 beneficiaries representing more than 300 government agencies in 2023 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The National Cybersecurity Academy trained about 6,000 beneficiaries representing more than 300 government agencies in 2023 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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National Cybersecurity Authority Develops Skills of Over 10,000 Saudis Through CyberIC

The National Cybersecurity Academy trained about 6,000 beneficiaries representing more than 300 government agencies in 2023 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The National Cybersecurity Academy trained about 6,000 beneficiaries representing more than 300 government agencies in 2023 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The development of cybersecurity is one of the strategic pillars of the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) in Saudi Arabia to stimulate the growth of the sector, encourage innovation, support entrepreneurship and investment, raise the proportion of local content in it, and build specialized national cadres to meet the national needs.

It also aims to contribute to strengthening the cybersecurity sector in Saudi Arabia and exploit promising opportunities that abound to achieve sustainable development and access to safe and reliable cyberspace.

NCA is the government entity in charge of cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia and serves as the national authority on its affairs.

It has regulatory and operational functions related to cybersecurity and works closely with public and private entities to improve the country's cybersecurity posture to safeguard its vital interests, national security, critical infrastructures, high-priority sectors, government services, and activities.

It is also concerned with stimulating the growth of the cybersecurity sector in Saudi Arabia and encouraging innovation and investment.

The Authority's pavilion at World Defense Show 2024 highlights the most prominent efforts and initiatives implemented to develop and build national capabilities specialized in cybersecurity, raise the level of cyber readiness among federal entities, and create a competitive environment that attracts local and global investment to the market in Saudi Arabia.

The Authority launched a group of strategic initiatives as part of the CyberIC program to develop the sector, contributing to the localization of cybersecurity technologies and training content, building specialized national capabilities, and supporting research and innovation programs.

The initiatives also aim to develop skills and knowledge for more than 10,000 Saudi men and women.

The first phase of the CyberIC program includes numerous initiatives, most notably the training of employees of national authorities, accelerating cybersecurity activities to stimulate the sector, and encouraging the development of national cybersecurity products, services, and solutions.

The cybersecurity accelerator is one of the main enablers in localizing its technologies by supporting more than 40 emerging companies and motivating entrepreneurs by establishing more than 20 local start-ups that provide solutions to cyber challenges.

The Authority also launched the CyberIC Innovation Program, in partnership with NEOM, to contribute to the growth of Saudi Arabia's cybersecurity sector, encouraging innovation and fostering investment.

The CyberIC Innovation Program aims to support the development of winning ideas and turn them into viable commercial products – thereby fostering localized innovative cybersecurity solutions, promoting investment in cybersecurity, and boosting the cybersecurity sector in Saudi Arabia.

It plays a critical role in nurturing local talent, creating a solid local cybersecurity company, and enabling cybersecurity entrepreneurs in a thriving environment that fosters innovation.

The Authority also implements a CyberPro program to train and qualify government cybersecurity employees. It aims to develop their capabilities and enhance scientific and practical skills.

During 2023, the National Cybersecurity Academy trained over 6,000 personnel representing more than 300 government agencies and contributed to developing the leadership capabilities of 160 cybersecurity officials within the Cybersecurity Leaders program.

The Authority issued the Saudi Cybersecurity Higher Education Framework and the Saudi Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (SCyWF) to achieve the academic quality of higher education programs and ensure that higher education outcomes are aligned with national needs.

The SCyWF framework facilitates creating, updating, and standardizing job descriptions in cybersecurity within national entities, as each role has a job description that includes a description of the tasks, knowledge, skills, and abilities required for each job role.

The Authority also depends on the cyber awareness of national authorities' employees and all society's age groups to establish a high cyberculture that enhances the values of preserving national security.

In 2022, the Authority launched the National Cybersecurity Awareness Program (Amen), an extension of its strategic initiatives to raise cybersecurity awareness within society.



Greece's 'Instagram Island' Santorini nears Saturation Point

Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP
Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP
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Greece's 'Instagram Island' Santorini nears Saturation Point

Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP
Tourists queue as they wait to take a picture from one of the balconies. Aris Oikonomou / AFP

One of the most enduring images of Greece's summer travel brand is the world-famous sunset on Santorini Island, framed by sea-blue church domes on a jagged cliff high above a volcanic caldera.
This scene has inspired millions of fridge magnets, posters, and souvenirs -- and now the queue to reach the viewing spot in the clifftop village of Oia can take more than 20 minutes, said AFP.
Santorini is a key stopover of the Greek cruise experience. But with parts of the island nearing saturation, officials are considering restrictions.
Of the record 32.7 million people who visited Greece last year, around 3.4 million, or one in 10, went to the island of just 15,500 residents.
"We need to set limits if we don't want to sink under overtourism," Santorini mayor Nikos Zorzos told AFP.
"There must not be a single extra bed... whether in the large hotels or Airbnb rentals."
As the sun set behind the horizon in Oia, thousands raised their phones to the sky to capture the moment, followed by scattered applause.
For canny entrepreneurs, the Cycladic island's famous sunset can be a cash cow.
One company advertised more than 50 "flying dresses", which have long flowing trains, for up to 370 euros ($401), on posters around Oia for anyone who wishes to "feel like a Greek goddess" or spruce up selfies.
'Respect Oia'
But elsewhere in Oia's narrow streets, residents have put up signs urging visitors to respect their home.
"RESPECT... It's your holiday... but it's our home," read a purple sign from the Save Oia group.
Shaped by a volcanic eruption 3,600 years ago, Santorini's landscape is "unique", the mayor said, and "should not be harmed by new infrastructure".
Around a fifth of the island is currently occupied by buildings.
At the edge of the cliff, a myriad of swimming pools and jacuzzis highlight Santorini is also a pricey destination.
In 2023, 800 cruise ships brought some 1.3 million passengers, according to the Hellenic Ports Association.
Cruise ships "do a lot of harm to the island", said Chantal Metakides, a Belgian resident of Santorini for 26 years.
"When there are eight or nine ships pumping out smoke, you can see the layer of pollution in the caldera," she said.
Cruise ship limits
In June, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis floated the possibility of capping cruise ship arrivals to Greece's most popular islands.
"I think we'll do it next year," he told Bloomberg, noting that Santorini and tourist magnet Mykonos "are clearly suffering".
"There are people spending a lot of money to be on Santorini and they don’t want the island to be swamped," said the pro-business conservative leader, who was re-elected to a second four-year term last year.
In an AFP interview, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni echoed this sentiment and said: "We must set quotas because it's impossible for an island such as Santorini... to have five cruise ships arriving at the same time."
Local officials have set a limit of 8,000 cruise boat passengers per day from next year.
But not all local operators agree.
Antonis Pagonis, head of Santorini's hoteliers association, believes better visitor flow management is part of the solution.
"It is not possible to have (on) a Monday, for example, 20 to 25,000 guests from the cruise ships, and the next day zero," he said.
Pagonis also argued that most of the congestion only affects parts of the island like the capital, Fira.
In the south of the island, the volcanic sand beaches are less crowded, even though it is high season in July.
'I'm in Türkiye
The modern tourism industry has also changed visitor behavior.
"I listened (to) people making a FaceTime call with the family, saying 'I'm in Türkiye," smiled tourist guide Kostas Sakavaras.
"They think that the church over there is a mosque because yesterday they were in Türkiye."
The veteran guide said the average tourist coming to the island has changed.
"Instagram has defined the way people choose the places to visit," he said, explaining everybody wants the perfect Instagram photo to confirm their expectations.