Manama:As part of Bahrain's ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation in cybersecurity within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recently hosted the sixth GCC Cybersecurity Exercise. This initiative aligns with the decisions made during the fifth meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Cybersecurity and saw participation from cybersecurity specialists across GCC member states.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the exercise underscores Bahrain's commitment to fostering joint GCC action, improving cyber readiness, and developing specialists' abilities in detecting, investigating, and responding to cyber incidents. It also aims to strengthen communication and coordination channels, facilitating the exchange of expertise among national teams to protect government entities and critical infrastructure throughout the GCC.
Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, CEO of the NCSC, emphasized that hosting the exercise demonstrates Bahrain's dedication to supporting collaborative efforts and expertise exchange in cybersecurity. He noted that such joint exercises are crucial for enhancing the capabilities of specialized personnel and improving their preparedness to tackle cyber incidents and threats. Furthermore, these exercises bolster coordination among specialists and officials, contributing significantly to the region's cybersecurity.
The exercise adopted a practical, defensive approach based on the "Capture the Flag" (CTF) format, involving simulated cyber challenges that mimic the specialists' daily work. It covered various technical areas such as cyber analysis, malware, logs, network traffic, and threat hunting, allowing participants to test their practical skills and identify areas for improvement.
Structured into two tracks, the exercise included a technical track to test practical skills and an executive track to acquaint leaders with the technical aspects of cybersecurity operations. This setup aimed to improve GCC teams' cooperation through expertise exchange, trust-building, and enhanced coordination, avoiding competition between countries. Teams independently reviewed their performance, and each will receive a detailed report to guide future training.
The event concluded with a joint session to discuss solutions and lessons learned, followed by a recognition ceremony where Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed honored participants for their contributions, thus supporting ongoing development and increased GCC readiness to address cyber threats.