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About Q-CERT

Q-CERT is a national asset sponsored by the State of Qatar's Supreme Council for Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR) in partnership with the CERT Program, which is part of Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. As Qatar's national computer security incident response team, Q-CERT will coordinate the comprehensive set of cyber-security activities needed to improve the protection of critical infrastructures in the nation and in the region.

To achieve this goal, Q-CERT will work with government agencies and industry to form a risk management strategy for cyber security that will address the following areas:

• planning, measurement, and evaluation
• deterrence
• protection
• monitoring, detection, and analysis
• response
• reconstitution and recovery
• research and development

Q-CERT recognizes the value of high-quality products and services provided by other organizations, and these local partnerships will increase Q-CERT's impact by allowing the groups to work together to establish high standards and practices. Because cyber security is not confined to national boundaries, Q-CERT will seek regional partners who have similar goals and can help improve the information security of the region. Q-CERT will also rely on the expertise and guidance of the CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC), the oldest and best-known center of information security in the world.

Mission statement

Q-CERT will build a cyber-security capability and capacity in government and private sector organizations in Qatar and the Gulf region by

• providing accurate and timely information about current and emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities
• responding to significant threats and vulnerabilities in critical infrastructures by conducting and coordinating activities needed to resolve the threats
• serving as a central, trusted partner in security incident reporting and analysis
• promoting and facilitating the adoption of standards, processes, methods, and tools that are most effective at mitigating the evolving risks
• providing unbiased information and training to build the management and technical skills needed for organizations to effectively manage their cyber risks

Constituents

Q-CERT's constituency includes all organizations that are authorized to use the .QA country code top-level domain as well as the general population of Qatar that use the Internet. Q-CERT's constituency includes Qatar's government, business, and educational institutions that rely on or use the Internet to conduct commerce or inform the public. Strategic partners include the oil and petroleum industry, the financial services industry, the telecommunications industry, and the essential ministries of the State of Qatar. Q-CERT will work with the educational institutes in Qatar to increase information security awareness and improve information security practices. In addition, Q-CERT must address the information security needs of the general population of Qatar that use computers and the Internet to retrieve knowledge or conduct business.

Key activities and services

Q-CERT will be providing the following:

• workshops, seminars, and courses designed to
• raise the awareness of cyber security issues in executives
• improve the capabilities of technical staff
• help Ministries and other enterprises perform information security risk self-assessments
• educate law enforcement staff on forensic tools and techniques
• a web site for information on emerging threats, new vulnerabilities, and other important security issues
• a watch center to scan open-source security information to gain early warning about emerging threats
• an alerting mechanism that allows for timely delivery of new alerts and mitigation strategies
• a laboratory to analyze newly reported vulnerabilities and malicious code and to develop mitigation strategies
• support for the 2006 Doha Asian Games, including risk assessments and on-site support during the event
• a capability to analyze security incidents and identify countermeasures
• coordination across multiple international organizations to manage incidents and investigations that cross national boundaries
• direct assistance to critical sites in assessing the scope and magnitude of security incidents and identifying recovery strategies
• an assessment of the state of cyber security in Qatar

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