The third day of GITEX Technology Week 2011 witnessed an active participation from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), in particular the Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT). aeCERT has unveiled a new i-phone application, a new website, and illustrated the advantage of its new collaborative platform- a virtual working environment.

H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General said: “In view of our commitment to developing the level of services provided to users, the TRA, represented by aeCERT, participated in a number of activities covering the latest smart phone technologies and their applications in the UAE, as well as the Collaborative Platform that creates a virtual working environment connecting ICT industry professionals together through the internet. Furthermore, we witnessed the launch of the new aeCERT website which was developed to become more attractive in terms of display and more diverse in terms of features and services it contains.”

“We, at TRA always seek, through our participation, to share our experiences with others, and benefit from their experiences as well, in order to advance and develop our ICT sector and the practices within it to reach the highest standard of services, and to ensure a safer cyber space for users, which represents the core of our strategic goals,” he added.

The first topic discussed in a presentation prepared by aeCERT covered the launch of its mobile application for the i-phone smart phone. The i-phone application, developed by aeCERT, provides detailed information about aeCERT services, activities, periodical security reports, security awareness tips, and best practices. In addition, the application provides up-to-date information about the latest security vulnerabilities and latest malware. End users can download the free application from the Apple store by searching the keyword, aeCERT. This new i-phone launch follows from last year's i-pad application launch, which was also developed by aeCERT.

The second topic outlined the collaborative platform, the virtual working environment that has the capability to connect all information security professionals through the internet where they can exchange files and messages, participate in forum discussions, create virtual teams to attend to incidents, and create their own professional profiles. The collaborative platform contains personal details of all users such as contact details, main tags, experience, interests, and people in their network. It contains a virtual environment where people that are interested in a common subject can interact with each other via the forum, virtual groups, instant messaging, and emails to raise questions and obtain answers. The platform has the ability to allow the users to upload, share comment, and rate files such as videos, images, and documents.

The third topic highlighted the launch of the aeCERT’s new website, which has been developed in order to be more interactive, attractive, and to provide more features and services to meet the TRA's requirements. The aeCERT website is considered to be one of the largest and most important interfaces to aeCERT specifically, and to the TRA in general. In addition, it will improve the interaction with its constituents and the public, delivering services in a fast and more professional manner. Additionally, the website includes statistics and reports about the latest security vulnerabilities and malwares that might threaten users. Individuals will be able to report incidents, submit malware, and join the experts in security through the website.

The aeCERT aims to sustain a resilient and vigilant ICT infrastructure against a broad range of cyber security threats by encouraging a safe and secure cyber culture in the UAE. Furthermore, by enhancing cyber security laws and assisting in the creation of new laws, aeCERT is spreading information security awareness across the country. It provides a trusted central point of contact for cyber security incident reports, and is fostering national expertise in information security, incident management, and computer forensics.