QFBA Organizes Cybercrime Workshop

Doha, October 19 (QNA) - Towards arming professionals and technical employees in the finance sector with the know-how to safeguard themselves and their organizations against cyber threats, Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA), in partnership with the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), organized a free-to-attend cybercrime workshop. The one-hour intensive workshop equipped attendees with the latest need-to-know information on cybercrime under international laws. "Even though having a strong IT security infrastructure in place is essential to protect companies, large and small, against cyber-attacks, it can only serve as one line of defense against cybercrime. In light of the increasing cyber threats faced by firms of all sizes around the world, especially in the financial services sector, professionals and technical employees need to be aware, educated and alert more than ever before about the dangers of cybercrime as well as the fundamentals of cyber security practices," said CISI Member and Director of Risk Services at Crowe Horwath David Cafferty. The QFBA, in collaboration with CISI, brings such crucial knowledge to financial sector employees in Qatar, to help them protect their companies' operations against potential financial loss and safeguard their firms' sensitive data and confidential client information. Dr Abdul Aziz Al Horr, CEO at QFBA, said: "From day one, QFBA has been on a mission to fulfill the learning and business objectives of public and private institutions in Qatar, while raising the profile of the financial and business sectors in the country and across the region. With the financial sector being the most frequently targeted sector in terms of cybercrime, the Academy is taking a preemptive step, in collaboration with CISI, by educating professionals and technical employees in Qatar's various business sectors on how to close the loopholes that are often exploited by hackers and malicious software, as well as what to do to protect their critical data and digital assets." According to a white paper published by Forcepoint cyber security firm last year, the financial sector is four times more prone to attacks than other sectors. This becomes more risky when considering that 70% of cyber-attacks involve viruses, spyware or malware, as the latest Cyber Security Breaches Surveys suggest. Moreover, surveys revealed that around 25% of large companies experience at least one security breach per month, with only half of the firms taking any preventive measures to reduce the risk. QFBAs introduction of the cybercrime crash course to industry professionals in Qatar, emanates from the Academy's belief that companies can help protect themselves against cyber incidents by raising awareness among their staff and better educating them on how to deal with cyber threats in today's digitally-driven and interconnected business world. The course focused on recent changes and forthcoming developments in cybercrime and also concentrated on specific standards that have been effective in implementing the practice, in line with QFBAs mission to power the evolving needs of the rapidly growing business sector in Qatar and the region. (QNA)