Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), received the Trust Cyber Security Award at the inaugural of the Trust Forum for Information Security 2018 alongside 15 government agencies who demonstrated a commitment to safeguarding IT infrastructure.

The Minister of Interior, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, presented the award to chief executive officer of BAC, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) Officer’s Club.

The forum, which was organised for the first time by the General Directorate of Information Security and Radio Communications, provided a platform for government agencies to discuss a variety of topics centred on the requirements and challenges associated with the safeguarding of IT infrastructure.

BAC received the award for successfully completing Level 1 of the Information & e-Government Authority (IGA) Cyber Trust Programme (CTP), which aims to enhance the information security culture and practices of government agencies in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The programme requirements include process implementation, self-assessment and an audit by IGA to ensure compliance.

Commenting on the award, Al Binfalah said: “On behalf of BAC, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Minister of Interior for this honour and to the IGA for its support and guidance in establishing a strong technical framework which meets international cybersecurity standards. I would also like to recognise the hard work and dedication of our highly skilled ICT department which oversees the digital operations and who also took the initiative to enter into this programme. We look forward to further expanding our capabilities and completing the next level of certification in the near future.”

He added: “Whilst it is not compulsory for private companies to enrol in the CTP, BAC has chosen to do so as part of its proactive approach to enhance information security and is committed to improving its standards in line with international best practice. Cybersecurity is a key component for all airports and the Airport Modernisation Programme’s (AMP) ongoing digitisation strategy is of top priority. The strategy will incorporate a master integration model, new interfaces to existing applications, revamped networks and data centres, cloud-based solutions, a site test facility and increased information security. These investments in the BIA ICT platform will help transform it into a smart, modern and sustainable airport in support of our partners' operations in line with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.” - TradeArabia News Service