Saudi Arabia has set up a new authority for cyber security following a number of attempts to hack government and private-run websites over the past few months.
The authority, set up by royal decree, has named the Minister of State Musaed al-Aiban as its chairman, reported state news agency WAM, citing Reuters.
The National Authority for Cyber Security will be linked to the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and has been created to “boost the cyber security of the state, and protect its vital interests, national security and sensitive infrastructure,” according to the decree.
It will also improve protection of networks, information technology systems and data, WAM said.
Saudi Arabia has been the target of frequent cyber attacks in the past 12 months.Earlier this year, it put out an alert about the “Shamoon” virus after the Labour Ministry had been attacked and a chemical company reported a network disruption.
Last month, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) said that its website had been the target of cyber attacks.
The GEA announced on Twitter that it was trying to identify the source of the cyber attacks and prevent any impact to its website or social media accounts.
Saudi Arabia’s move following the UAE which launched the Dubai Cyber Security Strategy earlier this year.
The Dubai Cyber Security Strategy aims to provide integrated protection against the dangers of cyberspace, support for innovation in cyberspace and the growth of the emirate and its economic prosperity.
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