DOHA: The Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference (ARC ’13) to be held here on November 24 and 25 will discuss cyber security as a major global challenge, with a special focus on Qatar.
The event at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) will bring together experts and researchers to discuss the growing dependence on computing and networking technologies by the world’s economies, and the unprecedented security concerns and risk this has to a nation’s cyber infrastructure.
For the first time at the annual conference, organised by Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D), cyber security as a large-scale research challenge will be addressed in-depth through discussions and debates on risks, emerging threats and opportunities.
According to Dr De Millo, chief scientist at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) Qatar is subject to specific risks that need to be considered.
“The cyber security risks we face here in Qatar are exactly the ones that other industrialised countries around the world are facing, but our problems are unique in that we have a different economy, different neighbours and thus face different kinds of threats.”
The meet will unite local and international information technology experts, facilitating a crossover of their defence efforts against cyber attacks. “The dialogues that will take place at the Annual Research Conference between Qatar’s experts and their international counterparts will enable information sharing where we will learn from each other in real time,” he added.
Dr Farnam Jahanian, Assistant Director for the Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the US National Science Foundation (NSF), will deliver the keynote cybersecurity lecture on day two of the conference.
Christopher Rouland, an independent expert known for his work in discovering security vulnerabilities, will take part in a ‘Cyber Security – Emerging Threats’ panel discussion.
Dr Richard J Lipton, Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, will moderate a debate that will address ‘Rights, Responsibility and Cost to Privacy, Security and Anonymity: Individuals, Enterprises and Governments’.
Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), a principal constituent of QF R&D, will lead these cybersecurity discussions at the conference and will have local experts, such as Chief Scientist Dr Richard De Millo, present findings and moderate panel discussions.
Other research grand challenges faced by Qatar will also be addressed including water and energy security, advancements in diabetes and cancer research, preservation of Arabic culture, art, language and heritage, as well as ensuring sustainable food supply.
The Peninsula
