Kuwait's Level Of Cybersecurity Is 'primitive'

The reason for the large number of electronic fraud operations in Kuwait was revealed in a recent parliamentary report, according to Al-Seyassah. According to this report, the level of cybersecurity at the national level in Kuwait is ‘primitive’ in comparison with the international standards, which makes vital institutions and individuals vulnerable to hacking due to the lack of advanced protection platforms. This is despite the existence of a strategy proposed by the government for cybersecurity since 2017.

As a result of the recently-issued parliamentary report on Kuwait's cybersecurity situation, it was found that Kuwait has a "novice level" of cybersecurity at the national level in most areas according to global standards and the Oxford University's Cybersecurity Capacity Maturity Model (CMM).

A recent study conducted by the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) assessed the cyber situation in the country for the purpose of preparing the report. The study revealed that the electronic attacks that most vital sector institutions are exposed to are distributed between advanced persistent threat (ApT) attacks, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, access to networks and applications from external sources, and phishing attacks that come from web pages or e-mail.

Kuwait's first international cybersecurity index, "Cybersecurity Strategy and Policy," was considered novice, the second index, "Electronic Culture and Society Quality," was considered composite, the third index, "Training and Skills for Cybersecurity," was considered novice, the fourth index, "Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Cybersecurity," was considered novice, and the fifth index, "Technology and Controls Used," was considered novice. The report stated that the general level of cybersecurity in Kuwait is “amateur,” indicating the presence of primitive capabilities that are barely negligible in the institutions’ practice of cybersecurity, and methods for confronting and responding to electronic risks.

In regard to the "comprehensive" level, it indicates the institution's ability and capability in practicing cybersecurity and managing electronic risks. The report criticized the failure to implement the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2017/2020 despite the completion of its preparation. It includes three main goals for enabling the government to achieve its vision of cybersecurity.

It aims to build a culture of cybersecurity that promotes safe and correct use of cyberspace, protects and monitors Kuwait's assets, vital infrastructure, national information, and information network, and provides a means of cooperation and information exchange among various international and local cybersecurity organizations.

According to the report, the project to launch a comprehensive cybersecurity system is the second in a series of digital transformation projects in government work processes. An Amiri decree was issued on February 2, 2022 for this purpose. Accordingly, the National Center for Cybersecurity was established to be responsible for building an effective cybersecurity system at the national level to protect the state from cyber threats and protect its vital interests in cyberspace. Based on the decree, the financial appropriations for this center will be within the budget of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

Also included in the decree is the transfer of the Cybersecurity Department of the CITRA to this center. The government indicated in its current work program its endeavor to launch the comprehensive cybersecurity system within the center’s development strategies in the first year of implementing its 2023/2024 program. Accordingly, the budget of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers included financial allocations of KD 7.840 million for the cybersecurity center, along with a financial allocation of KD 100,000 for official activities.

 

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