Kuwait Telecommunications Company – stc, a world-class digital leader providing innovative services and platforms to customers, enabling the digital transformation in Kuwait, participated in the third Cybersecurity Education and Research Conference (CERC), whereas the Company provided a key overview on securing critical infrastructure with the zero-trust network model during its session.
The conference was organized by the British Embassy in Kuwait in cooperation with Kuwait University, the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA), and Kuwait College of Science & Technology (KCST). During his segment, engineer Issa Al Suwait, General Manager - Cyber Security at stc, provided an overview of the main concept behind the zero-trust model, expressing that no person, device, or system should be trusted by default, even if connected to a verified and monitored corporate network. In this regard, Al-Suwait added that the zero-trust framework incorporates several security protocols that verify the user’s identity, authenticate the device, and continuously validate security configurations prior to being granted and during access to applications and data.
While presenting at the conference, Al-Suwait highlighted that in 2019, the UK’s national technical authority and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), recommended that network engineers incorporate the zero-trust model in new IT deployments, especially when expecting significant use of cloud services. The zero-trust is an enterprise security designed with set principles following a coordinated cybersecurity and system management strategy that is based on the acknowledgement of threats. Therefore, the model assumes that there is no implicit trust granted to users based solely on their physical or network location or asset ownership.
stc released a statement emphasizing its role in spreading awareness to the public on the importance of acknowledging cybersecurity, while providing insights and expert views on how to manage possible threats and breaches. This approach falls in line with the Company’s strategy to enable digital transformation by supporting both individual and corporate customers to benefit the local economy.
The Company also stated that it was one of the first telecom companies to comply with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) – Data Security Standard (DSS) after receiving its version 3.2.1 certification. The certification was obtained after completing a comprehensive and rigorous auditing review of existing processes that involved the acts of securing current customer data. Although protecting customer data comes as an ongoing initiative for the Company, it was able to effectively comply with the technical and operational requirements due to the diligent efforts made by the stc team.
Additionally, stc launched “Shield”, the ultimate solution in cyber security and protection offered to its corporate customers. The pioneering service aims to ensure the safety of businesses by identifying risks in possible data breaches, 360 degrees protection, and assessing critical assets to enable a worry-free environment for businesses to thrive digitally.
stc added, “This step and achievement reflects the relentless effort placed forth by the stc team to protect its customers, reinforcing the Company’s ongoing commitment to provide its customers with pioneering solutions, backed by a secure online payment portal protected against cyber threats and privacy data breaches.”
The Company expressed that data breaches can not only lead to financial loss and distress but also harm the brand and reputation that institutions spent years to build. Ensuring the protection of sensitive customer data from possible cyber-attacks is not a matter stc takes lightly, especially during times where such attacks are occurring more often, exposing sensitive information due to data breaches.
It is worth mentioning that the initiatives under the third CERC were held at the College of Life Sciences, with the main theme focusing on techniques for protecting advanced technology and vital national infrastructure. Upon concluding the conference, the organizing committee announced its recommendation regarding securing critical infrastructure and accelerating the establishment of a national cybersecurity center to protect the country’s digital infrastructure across various fields such as energy, healthcare, financial services, communications, as well as smart cities.
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Source: Press Release