30 June, 2009

• To protect its Websites and information Structure on the Internet

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, signed at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, a memorandum of understanding with the Public Authority for the Telecommunications Regulatory "TRA". The memo includes the protection of websites and the inner system of the Ministry and to prevent accidents of Internet cyberspace security. In addition, the services to be provided including counseling and education, consulting and response, research and analysis.

According to the agreement, the Authority will offer 25 different services that would help in the development of the website and the electronic services offered by the Ministry.

The agreement was signed by her Excellency Afra Al Sabri, executive director of institutional services and support, on the behalf of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, and on the behalf of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority by H.E Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, a member of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Commission.

H.E Afra Al Sabri, executive director of institutional services and support the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, said: "under the directives from His Excellency Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, the ministry is working to cooperate with the institutions and bodies of the country and society, to adopt quality as a main constituent of success, and to achieve  extraordinary performance to elevate services and develop human resources and to build effective information and electronic systems”.

H.E Afra Al Sabri, executive director of institutional services and support the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, added that the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the General Authority for regulating the telecommunications sector achieves these objectives as the Authority has specialized cadres in the field of information technology, and have capabilities that could be used to protect the information infrastructure owned by the ministry, like the Ministry’s data files and electronic database, along with initiatives and projects, artistic and cultural heritage.

H.E added that the ministry is aware of the importance of the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the General Authority for regulating the telecommunications in a confidential work environment which serves official business and government to reach to its desired goals, in the era of modernity and progress."

She, moreover, insured that the Ministry takes a great care of information technology and communication, and finds it an active way to deliver its cultural and developmental message to all individuals of the society, especially the teenagers who are good in using such modern technologies.  In this respect, this memorandum of understanding is important in protecting this kind of communication between the ministry and its clients.

The terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development and the General Authority for regulating the telecommunications sector states the cooperation in the areas of the protection and storage of electronic data and information and IT infrastructure to ensure a safer environment for users of cyberspace in the country and to facilitate the detection, response and prevention of accidents of Internet cyberspace security, and to strengthen the information infrastructure in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development .

This memorandum comes in the context of the implementation of the ministries strategy, to improve the levels and patterns of work to serve clients to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction and job satisfaction in a safe working environment.
The memorandum of understanding, which could be renewed after one-year, includes the coordination and support to respond to cyber security incidents related to the ministry. The General Authority for regulating the telecommunications sector will be reporting cyberspace security incidents, and analyzing the dangers of cyberspace security on local and global levels. It will moreover provide the Ministry with consulting and coordination services and will increase the education and awareness about these risks.

On his part, His Excellency / Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, a member of the Board of Directors and Director General of the TRA, expressed his pleasure about the signing of this agreement with the Ministry of Culture, confirming that the strategy of the TRA includes the support of an electronic safe space for all UAE nationals and residents, where the memorandum of understanding functions as the core of the implementation of this strategy, which includes providing special services to improve the security situation of the structure of Information Technology in Ministry of Culture through the provision of extension services, education and awareness, counseling, and research and analysis.

Al-Ghanim said that the emergency computers response team in the country seeks to strengthen the ongoing anti-crime law of technical information and assistance in the development of new laws, and enhance awareness on security information, and build national expertise in the field of information security and emergency management. It also aims to encourage and assist the establishment of teams to respond to computer security incidents in different sectors.