Cyber Security
The National Cyber Security Centre, information security projects, and the legislature’s role in cyber security and personal data protection.
The Kingdom of Bahrain views cyber security as a pillar of its economic development. Its economy and prosperity are dependent on having a safe ICT infrastructure in place.
Bahrain goes to great lengths to protect its public and private sector infrastructure from online and financial threats. Playing a key role are two Ministry of Interior organisations, the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic & Electronic Security, and the National Cyber Security Centre.
General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic & Electronic Security
Established in 2004, the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic & Electronic Security is concerned with cyber security in a range of sectors, including energy, finance and banking, health, education, and others.
The organisation includes the following directorates:
- Anti-Corruption Crime Directorate
- Cyber Crime Directorate
- Anti-Economic Crimes Directorate
- International Affairs & Interpol Directorate
- System Detection Directorate
The National Cyber Security Centre
The National Cyber Security Center was established by Royal Decree No. (65) of 2017, it is well regarded for its strategic and technical abilities, providing consultation for a range of entities.
The National Cyberspace Centre includes the following directorates:
- Cyber Security Directorate
- Security Systems Development Directorate
- Cyber Policies Directorate
- National Response Directorate
- Coordination and Analysis Directorate
- Support and Computer Operations Directorate
- Security Systems Development Directorate
- Follow-up and Education Directorate
Cyber Security Readiness Maturity Index
The Kingdom of Bahrain was ranked highly on the Cyber Security Readiness Maturity Index, as per the latest International Telecommunications Union (ITU) report. In the Arab region, the Kingdom is considered advanced by the ICT Development Index (IDI) and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII), as per the latest United Nations (UN) eGovernment Survey.
This achievement is thanks to several major initiatives to raise the levels of cyber security readiness in the telecommunications sector and the application of local and international best practices. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) created a set of regulations to manage threats to the telecommunications infrastructure, enhancing the Kingdom’s cyber security readiness.
Among the TRA‘s responsibilities is the continuous implementation of initiatives that strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors, ensuring readiness against the increasing cyber security threats faced by the world and that ICT services are sustainable, secure, and able to support a robust digital economy.