Doha, Qatar: The Excellence Center for Training and Consultancy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies DI organized, on Sunday, November 24, 2024, a seminar titled ‘Cybersecurity and the Contemporary Challenges in Facing Cyber Intrusions: Practices and Ethics’ in collaboration with the Kindi Center for Computing Research at Qatar University.
The event featured the participation of HE Dr Ahmed Bin Hamad AlMohanadi, Shura Council Member, and the attendance of HE Brigadier General Abdelrahman Al Sulaiti, President of the Police Academy, Dr. Abdelwahab ElAffendi, President of the DI, Dr Ayhab Saad, Dean of the School of Economics, Administration and Public Policy, Dr Amal Gazal, Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, with a number of leaders, academics and researchers.
In her opening remarks, Amal Al-Subaie, Manager of the Development and Initiatives Section at the Excellence Center, emphasized the growing cybersecurity threats globally. She highlighted the importance of raising societal and institutional awareness of these risks and the need for additional measures to ensure comprehensive protection against cyber threats.
Dr. Devren Unal, speaking on behalf of the Director of the Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) and the KINDI Center for Computing Research, expressed his pleasure in cooperating with the Excellence Center to organize the seminar. He underscored the significance of cybersecurity in today’s world and its challenges.
The seminar, moderated by Dr. Fadi Zaraket, Head of the Arab Digital Social Research Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, featured five key presentations. HE Dr. Ahmed bin Hamad Al-Mohannadi discussed “Digital Transformation and Integrating Digital Technology in All Business Fields: Cloud Computing as a Model,” highlighting the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on daily life. He emphasized AI’s benefits and risks and called for its positive utilization.
Dr. Rateb Al-Jabbar, a researcher in AI and cybersecurity at the KINDI Center, presented “Generative AI: Cyber Risks and Ethical Challenges.” He explored generative AI's economic impact and ethical challenges, including privacy violations, legal accountability, model bias, and influence on employment.
Dr. Mohamed Al-Durani, Professor of Critical Security Studies at the Doha Institute, addressed global and regional cybersecurity challenges. He stressed the significant impacts of cyber threats on infrastructure, discussing “ethical hacking” and methods hackers use to infiltrate institutional systems.
Professor Dhiab Al-Badaina spoke about cyber defense and cyber-attacks using AI. He highlighted AI’s dual role in defense and attack, ethical concerns over misuse, privacy fears, and regulatory gaps. Al-Badaina posed the question: Can AI take on the role of cybersecurity?
In the final presentation, Dr. Bashir bin Issa Al-Shirawi focused on “Adhering to Ethical Principles in Developing Cybersecurity Strategies.” He elaborated on the ethical framework in cybersecurity, emphasizing core values such as integrity, accountability, privacy, justice, and diligence.
The seminar holds prominence in a world that is witnessing rapid digital transformations by the minute, where the internet plays a crucial role in social and economic development, improving quality of life, fostering innovation, and opening new opportunities across various sectors. However, cyberattacks targeting both public and private institutions have increased significantly, threatening national and economic security. These threats go beyond traditional breaches, encompassing attacks on personal data, critical infrastructure disruptions, and sensitive information leaks. This situation places growing pressure on governments and international institutions to address these challenges and enhance their ability to protect digital networks and systems.
