The National Egyptian Computer Emergency Readiness Team (EG-CERT) participated in the 8th Regional Cybersecurity Drill organized by the ITU Arab Regional Cyber Security Center (ITU-ARCC), under the theme “Controlling the cybersecurity risks associated with remote work” and was held in the period from 27 to 31 October. This annual event is hosted by the Oman National Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) in the Sultanate of Oman. The Cyber Drill is considered one of the most prominent cyber drills at the regional level that aims to enhance the cybersecurity awareness and culture. It is carried out on an electronic platform that sends a set of messages to the national teams participating in this maneuver. These messages simulate a pre-executed cyberattack that aims to measure the extent of the teams’ readiness in case a cyberattack targets their government entities. The organizing country sends the cyberattack through the implementation team. It comprises several stages that include a set of questions that should be answered one by one, taking into account the answer record time and the extent of its correctness. All this provides a unique environment for experts to evaluate the extent of the teams’ preparedness, enabling the participants to learn a variety of skills and experiences in the areas of cybersecurity.
It is worth mentioning that this year’s Drill was attended by 25 teams from the Arab countries as well as teams from the member states in the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation – Computer Emergency Response Team (OIC-CERT) as well as teams from Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team (AP-CERT).
The countries that participated in this this maneuver were as follows: –
The Arab Republic of Egypt – the Republic of India – the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (three teams) – the Republic of Benin – Malaysia – United Arab Emirates – the People’s Republic of Bangladesh – the Federal Republic of Nigeria – the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka – Qatar – the Republic of Tunisia – the Republic of Uzbekistan – the Kingdom of Morocco – Taiwan – the Republic of Sudan – Kuwait – the Federal Republic of Tanzania – the Federal Republic of Somalia – Syrian Arab Republic – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Hong Kong – Republic of Indonesia – the Sultanate of Brunei.
