Riyadh – The Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry said that information security was one of its highest priorities, adding that its information systems were ready to counter any electronic attacks perpetrated by external forces or states.

Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel noted that repeated cyber-attacks against the Kingdom’s institutions were increasing, adding however that the government and the foreign affairs ministry were deploying all efforts to promote and strengthen security strategies and raise the Kingdom’s security readiness at all times.

Moaiqel, who is also in charge of Saudi Arabia’s Transformation Program, was speaking during a ceremony held on Tuesday to celebrate the ministry’s receipt of the certificate of information security in accordance with the requirements of International Organization for Standardization (ISO-27001).

The foreign minister advisor stressed that the ISO certificate was a step forward in the efforts aimed at strengthening the Kingdom’s information security.

“Cyber-attacks are a continuous phenomenon,” he said, adding that those can be planned by external forces, as the attack can come from different sources and states and not from a single party.

Moaiqel highlighted the importance of continuous cooperation between the foreign affairs ministry and the National Cyber Security Center, which is linked to the ministry of interior.

The advisor also praised the support offered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, to achieve the desired goals on the National Transformation Program, within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.