Saudi Arabian government, IT pros stress need for improved cyber security

With instability brewing and tensions with Iran at high levels, cyber security has taken on heightened urgency and importance in Saudi Arabia.

More than 150 security decision makers met at the eighth Cyber Defense Summit this in Riyadh to discuss the issue.

Organized by multinational business facilitator Naseba and led by Basel Al Omair, founding director of the National Center for Cybersecurity Technology (C4C), the summit addressed online security threats and practical solutions.

Ahmad Akkhuiary, CEO of IT Security Training & Solutions, chaired a panel discussion called "CIOs and the digital future -- making security everybody's business."

"Cyber security is a collective responsibility," he said. "Leaders like CEOs, CIOs and CISOs need to align the needs and strategies of the business with IT and security. Technology owners, custodians, stakeholders, users and the overall community need to have a better understanding of cyber security implications and the role each of them play."

"We need to refresh the security posture of our organizations regularly, as the threats landscape is changing every day," Rasha Abualsaud, the sole female speaker, said.