The House of Peoples’ Representatives Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations and Peace has emphasized the need for the Information Network
Security Administration (INSA) to further strengthen and sustain its national
cyber-attack prevention capabilities. The call was made following the
Committee’s review of INSA’s 2018 E.C. annual plan and first-quarter
performance report.
Presenting the Committee’s concluding remarks, Dr. Fethi Mahdi,
Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee, noted that a total of 13,443
attempted cyber-attacks were recorded across various institutions during
the first quarter, with INSA successfully preventing 97.8% of them. He
stressed that INSA must continue working to raise its defensive capacity to above
99%, given the growing sophistication of cyber threats.
Dr. Fethi further highlighted that since all institutions rely on
internet-connected systems, it is essential for INSA to collaborate effectively
with national institutions to protect major infrastructure, mega-projects, and
financial sectors from cyber-attacks.
INSA Director General H.E. Tigist Hamid reported that the
institution’s cyber defense capability has shown continuous improvement,
reaching 97.8% in the first quarter of the 2018 fiscal year. She noted
that INSA is actively working to combat fraud, corruption, and illicit
activities observed in the construction, land administration, and revenue
collection sectors. Strengthening cybersecurity in these systems, she added,
remains a priority area of focus.
During the session, questions prepared by Hon. Sadiq Adem were
presented, followed by additional inquiries from Standing Committee members.
INSA senior officials provided detailed responses and clarifications regarding
the issues raised.
