BEIRUT
– HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal
Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), has stressed that cybersecurity is
considered one of the key important issues that threaten the future
of humanity, due to its challenges that compel everyone to protect
national security.

Dr.
Abu-Ghazaleh’s remarks came during his participation as a keynote
speaker at the Cybersecurity Conference organized by the Adnan Kassar
School of Business at the Lebanese American University (LAU) in
cooperation with BMB Smart, under the title “Smart Shield:
Protecting Information in the Digital Age”.

In
his speech, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh referred to the unprecedented changes
and development of the Internet since he assumed his role in the
United Nations ICT Task Force in 2000; stating that ‘cybersecurity
is a standalone science that needs to permanently keep pace with
technology advancements to safeguard data and information in all its
forms from any theft, deletion, or change.

He
also referred to the significance of the Conference, which serves as
an important tool for keeping abreast with the most recent
advancements in cybersecurity science. In addition, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh
expressed his thanks to Lebanon, noting it is one of the countries
that are distinguished by supporting creativity regardless of any
disagreements, political disputes, or other conditions.

For
his part, LAU President, Dr. Michel Mawad, said that the theme of the
Conference constitutes one of the most important issues of our era
since it interferes with human existence in an unprecedented way,
reviewing the concept of protection for individuals and the groups.
“The University deals with information systems at various levels,
including medical, academic, financial, and human resources.
Cybersecurity is important to safeguard data and secure systems
against any threats during their operations,” he said.

For
his part, Lebanon’s Minister of Telecommunications, HE Mr. Johnny
Korm, stated that economic and security infrastructure may be
jeopardized in the digital age that we live in, which exceeds
responsibility beyond traditional borders and known defenses.
Additionally, he reaffirmed that cybersecurity is a matter of
national security that has become a basic need that requires
cooperation and partnership between the public and the private
sectors in order to combine innovation with public policies to ensure
security and effective performance.

It
is worth mentioning that the Conference was held in the presence of
Head of the Cybercrime Division, Colonel Patrick Obeid, heads and
managers of companies and institutions specialized in the Internet
and cybersecurity, and a host of experts in the field from Lebanon,
Arab and foreign countries.