Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC) and the British Standards Institution (BSI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at DESC’s headquarters in Emirates Towers, Dubai
Amer Sharafuddin Sharaf, senior director of compliance support and alliances, DESC and Theuns Kotzé, managing director-BSI Middle East and Africa, signed the MoU in the presence of senior officials from both the organisations.
The objective of the memorandum is to enhance cooperation between DESC and BSI in the areas of standardisation and conformity assessment, sharing best practice in the development of information and cyber security resilience, initiatives to mitigate cyber threats and programmes to ensure the effective adoption of digital technology.
Under the terms of the MoU, BSI in partnership with DESC will develop standards, carry out certification, deliver training and undertake testing to the support the objective.
The agreement includes collaboration in various areas such as develop and enhance policies on “Internet of Things” (IoT) security, implementation of measures to address the opportunities associated with SCADA systems and assessment of Cloud Service Providers (CSP) in accordance with DESC CSP standards.
Theuns Kotze commented, “The disruptive impact of digital transformation, through technologies presents huge opportunities but also significant risks. BSI recognises that DESC is of critical importance in establishing Dubai as a global leader in innovation, safety and security.”
“We are delighted to collaborate closely with DESC and support the Dubai cybersecurity strategy. DESC will become a key element of BSI’s IoT and digital transformation global community, benefitting from, and contributing to global ‘best practice’ on the security of digital technologies,” he added.
Amer Sharaf said,” As part of our Dubai cybersecurity strategy, establishing collaborations is one of our main domains in achieving a safe cyberspace, therefore, with the transnational risks of cyberspace, we always look forward to seeking partnerships with other regional and international cities in exchanging experiences to ensure cyber resilience.”
“This collaboration with BSI advances our efforts towards preserving the digital future of Dubai as well as implementing the best practices in the field of cybersecurity across the Emirate,” Sharaf concluded.
