Cybersecurity of great interest to Qatar: QICCA’s Sheikh Thani

Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA) at Qatar Chamber concluded its ‘Legal Week’ on Thursday A...

Tribune News NetworkDohaThe Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA) at Qatar Chamber concluded its ‘Legal Week’ on Thursday April 1 with a webinar entitled ‘Legal Criteria and Cybersecurity Requirements’.Addressing the webinar, QICCA Board Member for International Relations Sheikh Dr Thani bin Ali Al Thani praised the success of the QICCA’s ‘Legal Week’ which saw the participation of more than 740 participants and 26 speakers from Qatar and other countries, stressing that the event will be held annually to highlight issues and topics related to arbitration and law and their updates. Sheikh Thani stressed that Qatar and its wise leadership attached great interest to the cybersecurity, referring to the Amiri Decision recently issued on the establishment of the National Agency for Cybersecurity, noting that it aims to maintain national cyber security, enhance the vital interests of the country, prepare a national strategy for cybersecurity, develop frameworks for managing cyber risks, and prepare a national plan for response and recovery from cyber incidents and attacks.He also said Qatar has developed its technological infrastructure to combat all kinds of cybercrimes and sought to strengthen cooperation with world countries in this regard.Moderated by Dr Diaa Noaman, the last day sessions highlighted many topics such as the protection of personal data, the legal controls for cybersecurity, the implications of cybercrimes in the Arab countries and the rehabilitation of lawyers and its impact on the cybersecurity of justice.Speaking to participants, professor of criminal law at Police College Dr Yasser El-Lamey talked about the protection of personal data between reality and expectations, noting that the development of information technology and artificial intelligence is accompanied by a development in cybercrimes, stressing that the new legislations and laws have helped in safeguarding the confidentiality of personal data and information not to be used for commercial purposes.El-Lamey also stressed the importance of issuing a legislation to protect the privacy of personal data and at the same time guarantee the right to access information, as well as confirm the commitment of states to apply the principle of transparency regarding the measures which might have an impact on the privacy of personal data.On her part, Professor of public international law Dr Mona Kamel Turki talked about legal controls for cybersecurity, indicating that the digital information is a wealth and is closely linked to the politics of economic countries and international systems. The challenge facing information security requires a legal and regulatory environment for cyberspace, as a legislative base that includes laws, regulations, and instructions related to security measures when laws are violated, she stressed.She also reviewed laws, regulations and instructions related to the cybersecurity, measures needed for enhancing it, as well as the different types of cybercrimes.She recommended the importance of establishing a coordinated system for cybersecurity to avoid cybercrimes, establishing a focal point for managing cyber incidents, and developing plans, procedures, and protocols regarding the response during emergency cases.Dr Abdulmoneam Abdulhafiz, expert in cybercrimes in Sudan, reviewed the effects of cybercrimes in Arab countries, noting that the cybercrimes include many forms such as hacking, electronic infringement of material and moral rights, phishing, extortion, fraud, defamation, breach of privacy, plagiarism, and others, stressing that these crimes negatively affect individuals and society.He stressed that combating these crimes require developing legislations and laws, enhancing cooperation between countries, in addition to raising awareness of the use of electronic devices and applications and activating the media role to raise awareness of the dangers of these practices.For his part, Dr Omar Al Khataibeh, from Al khataibeh Center for Arbitration &law and legal training in Jordan, discussed the role of lawyers and its impact on the cybersecurity of justice, stressing the importance of training lawyers academically, technically, practically, and linguistically.Al Khataibeh also pointed out that the lawyer should enjoy good communication skills, as he deals with many bodies such as courts, arbitration bodies, institutions, companies, organizations, and clients.He recommended the importance of modifying our understanding of the lawyer as ‘a key to justice’, developing the lawyer’s competence in the areas of cybersecurity, teaching cyber security and cybercrime in law colleges, linking all laws with cybersecurity, and facilitating international cooperation between lawyers.