Morocco Opens 3-Day Cybersecurity Week in Rabat
Morocco's defence-run cyber agency opened a national cybersecurity week in Rabat on Monday, promising tighter audits and AI tools to protect vital networks. The post Morocco Opens 3-Day Cybersecurity Week in Rabat appeared first on The Rio Times .
Morocco launched a three-day cybersecurity week in Rabat on Monday, October 12, to address the growing threat of cyberattacks, particularly accelerated by artificial intelligence. The event, organized by the General Directorate for Information Systems Security (DGSSI), aims to attract African governments and foreign technology firms. The DGSSI, under Brigadier General Abdellah Boutrig, oversees the week and is part of the National Defence Administration.
The week's theme, "Cybersecurity in the service of digital transformation and development," includes sessions on vital infrastructure, cybercrime, cloud security, and artificial intelligence. DGSSI director-general Abdellah Boutrig emphasized that cybersecurity is crucial for digital sovereignty and not a secondary concern. He announced plans for tighter audits, new qualification regimes, and closer oversight of vital infrastructure, which may impact foreign vendors serving Moroccan public institutions.
Morocco, as Washington's only free-trade partner in Africa, is leveraging the cybersecurity week to court African governments and tech firms. The DGSSI will update its laws and rules to keep pace with emerging threats and technologies. Boutrig highlighted the agency's focus on vital infrastructure and expressed plans to engage small and medium-sized enterprises in cybersecurity efforts. He also set a goal of developing artificial intelligence tools to protect Moroccan cyberspace.
The DGSSI collaborates with the African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities, hosting its regional incident-response center, ANCA-CERT. Morocco is ranked in Tier 1 of the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index by the International Telecommunication Union, showcasing its commitment to cybersecurity. The week will feature a cybersecurity exercise involving about 30 countries, coordinated by the United Nations agency, and a workshop led by a United Nations disarmament institute.
A dedicated day will be allocated to Africa, including a cyber diplomacy session for African embassies with the pan-African alliance Smart Africa.
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