Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) led Bahrain’s delegation to the Central Region Communications Conference (CRCC) from 17 – 19 April 2017 which was held at Washington, DC, headed by TRA’s Director of Cyber Security, Dr. Khalid bin Duaij Al Khalifa.

CRCC is an annual conference, organized by the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), led in conjunction with the Department of State and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and this year’s theme is “Cyber Incident Response: Key to Mission Assurance.”

The conference focused on sharing experience in responding to ever increasing cyber incidents as well as new ideas on cybersecurity and incident response initiatives. Through a series of focused presentations and panel discussions, this conference addressed national cybersecurity strategies, initiatives, and challenges related to cyber incident response. These include legal, regulatory, government policy, and international standards issues that affect progress.

“Participating in the CRCC has allowed us to learn and share experiences with our partners on how best to respond to the cyber threats affecting our region.” Says Dr. Khalid. “It was evident from the discussions that we’re on a dangerous trajectory, and that we need to overcome the current & future challenges we face collectively, with speed, strength and ingenuity. Along the way, and depending on the ever-changing landscape, this may require us to rethink the suitability of our current cyber strategy.” He further stated.

There were various outcomes to the conference, which aimed to support regional stability, economic development and global commerce; to enhance partnerships as a foundation for ongoing cooperation, to address future challenges to include crisis response and disaster relief, and to increase awareness of mutually beneficial ICT approaches.