HIBAPRESS – MAP
The Director General of the General Directorate for Information Systems Security, Major General Abdellah Boutrik, affirmed on Wednesday in Marrakech that Morocco has adopted a comprehensive approach to address the complex, evolving, and interconnected challenges of cybersecurity.
Boutrik explained, at the opening of the "Strategic Digital Defense and Artificial Intelligence Readiness" summit, which brings together various components of the African cybersecurity system around a strategic dialogue dedicated to digital defense, and organized within the framework of the "GITEX Africa Morocco" exhibition in partnership with the General Directorate for Information Systems Security, that "digital threats, in light of their rapidly evolving development, have made cybersecurity go beyond being a mere technical issue, to become a challenge that directly affects the sovereignty, stability, and economic development of our countries." He added that addressing these challenges goes beyond the unilateral framework, stressing that cyber resilience, as a strategic necessity, is inevitably built through multi-country cooperation, within a comprehensive approach. He pointed out that this approach is based on appropriate governance, a clear strategic framework, a comprehensive regulatory arsenal, and operational capabilities, in addition to continuous investment in strengthening capabilities, highlighting that Morocco has chosen to move at all these levels simultaneously. He also confirmed that this integrated approach includes the legal aspects, operational capabilities, international cooperation, and the development of competencies, adding that this has been reflected "in a tangible way on Morocco's situation in the field of cybersecurity," enabling the Kingdom to "achieve an advanced level of maturity." In the face of the cross-border nature of cybersecurity challenges, Mr. Boutrik highlighted the great efforts made by Morocco in the field of cooperation and coordination at the regional and international levels, especially in Africa, where it actively contributes to the work of the African Network of Cybersecurity Bodies, which it has been vice-chairing since 2022. He considered that this is a matter of solidarity that serves the continent's resilience, stressing the importance of the vitality of the private sector in each country and the strength of its human capital as two fundamental levers. He stressed that national cybersecurity cannot only rely on the state's efforts, but also needs a dense, dynamic, and rooted industrial and entrepreneurial fabric in the local reality. The Director General of Information Systems Security also noted the existence of a "shortage" of qualified competencies in the field of operational cybersecurity, calling for strengthening basic and continuous training, adapting academic curricula to the requirements of the field, and encouraging specialization in skills. He concluded that all these challenges require a collective response, organized and of a clear practical nature, highlighting the importance of the meetings included in the "GITEX Africa Morocco" program, which will address in particular the implementation of national strategies, cross-border cooperation, and the management of cyber risks in sensitive environments, as well as the enhancement of human capabilities.
