Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, recently spoke at the third edition of the Information and Cybersecurity Conference and Exhibition (Caisec'24) about the growing importance of cybersecurity in today's digital environment. Speaking on behalf of the prime minister, Talaat stressed that the threat of cyber attacks is growing as countries become more reliant on digital systems.
According to international reports, on average, institutions around the world face a ransomware attack every 11 seconds. The global cost of cybercrime is estimated at $8.4 trillion in 2022, with annual costs expected to exceed $20 trillion by 2026.
In response to these growing threats, Egypt, through its Supreme Council for Cybersecurity, has launched a National Cybersecurity Strategy that focuses on several key pillars, including promoting scientific research on cybersecurity and strengthening international cooperation in the field.
Talaat stressed the importance of building cybersecurity capacity, highlighting a recent “Cyberskills” initiative aimed at training 1,000 young people each year. Egypt is currently ranked 23rd in the world in the International Telecommunication Union's “Cybersecurity” index, and Talaat said he hopes to further improve this ranking.
Egypt's commitment to cybersecurity is evident in the Digital Egypt platform, which currently offers more than 170 digital government services. The government aims to expand this to 200 services by the end of the year. Talaat stressed that efforts to strengthen digital services come with increased awareness of cyber risks, demonstrating the country's proactive efforts in protecting its digital infrastructure.
Held under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Caisec'24 was organized by Mercury Communications and United Media Services in collaboration with the Arab Information and Communications Technology Organization (AICTO). The conference brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss the latest trends and challenges in the field of cybersecurity.
