Cybersecurity Training Program of the Year

I was awarded the “Cybersecurity training program of the year” from the Cyber Security Council during the 4-day Cyber Security and Innovation conference in my capacity as SNOC IT Chief Officer. The awards were presented by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of UAE Cyber Security Council, and the guest of honor Mr. Cheang, Chief Security Officer of HUAWEI.

This award is a testament to SNOC’s IT Department strong performance and efforts in the past year, as we have embedded a new behavior and built a cyber-aware culture. It is highlighted in many settings that one of the most challenging tasks in the CIO agenda is leveraging human performance as a critical layer of defense; However, this is not the case in SNOC. Knowing that, gave me the confidence that we need to share our experience in promoting a positive cyber awareness culture and the steps taken which should be the blueprint for building an effective cyber training program. Reaching that level of maturity is demonstrated by the following:

• Engaged employees who are eager to learn and pass their knowledge to others
• Leadership endorsement all the way from the CEO level
• IT team who leveraged the technology to build an integrated security training system

Employee awareness is the foundation and the forefront of any resilient security system. Finally, allow me to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to SNOC’s management and employees for playing an integral part in mobilizing their efforts to achieve our common goals. This is one milestone in our journey, as we are working on the technical defense system which will be complemented by continuous improvements in the cyber awareness journey.