Economic Zones World teams up with TRA to strengthen cyber security

Economic Zones World

Economic Zones World (EZW) has signed an MoU with the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), represented by the UAE Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT), to boost its information systems and strengthen cyber security across its operations. 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Mrs Salma Hareb, CEO of Economic Zones World and H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of TRA.

Under the agreement the two parties will collaborate on information security including the provision of early warning and notification of threats and vulnerabilities in order to detect, prevent and respond to the broader set of cyber security threats such as hacking, viruses and corruption on the Internet.

The MoU outlines the various phases of the work that will be undertaken by the parties. aeCERT, established by the TRA in 2008 as the cyber security coordination centre for the UAE, will initially evaluate the current information systems used by the free zone operator, and its effectiveness against cyber attacks.

As part of the agreement, the Centre will make suggestions and provide consultation on preliminary threats to better protect EZW systems and electronic data. The two parties will also jointly work on new and existing technologies that could enhance operations and mitigate risk.

Mrs. Salma Hareb, CEO, Economic Zones World, said: “With our operations getting increasingly more advanced and complex, we give the highest priority to quality and security. This collaboration with aeCERT reinforces our commitment to applying the most stringent standards for information security management. We are continuously evaluating and enhancing existing systems for the betterment of our clients and their businesses.”

H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of TRA said: “The TRA, being a regulatory authority for ICT, aims to provide the best level of services to users, and one of the ways we can ensure industry-best standards, is by protecting our users from cyber threats. We are pleased to sign this MoU with a leading UAE company such as EZW who is witnessing growth and prosperity, and its expansion in an ever-developing world of IT requires the highest possible levels of protection for its data and network. We are confident that the experience of our aeCERT team will be of great benefit to EZW’s cyber security.”

The Free zone operator has taken many measures to shore up its IT infrastructure over the years. In 1996 Jafza won ISO accreditation (ISO 9002:1994) becoming the first ISO certified free zone in the world. In addition to receiving an ISO 27001 certification, Jafza has also developed a process based Quality Management System meeting ISO standards which documents all core business and support processes in the free zone.