UAE: Cyber Security Council launches internship programme for Emirati graduates

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Etisalat, has announced the launch of an internship programme for Emirati university graduates and professionals who recently joined the cyber security workforce.

The programme, which runs for three months, seeks to enhance the interns’ cyber security skills and knowledge, further protect the UAE’s digital transformation and provide them with valuable professional and business skill-sets. It is open to ten UAE nationals selected by a committee composed of experts from the CSC and the Ministry of Education.

‘A great opportunity’

Dr Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security, UAE Government, said: “The CSC is continuously embracing innovative ways to enhance cyber security across the UAE’s critical infrastructure. We have a great opportunity to bring young Emiratis into a critical sector of government services. Having them work with Etisalat will expose them to real threats that our nation is experiencing on a daily basis so they could prepare for, respond to, and mitigate risks associated with cyber threats today and in the future.”

Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Education for Performance Improvement, affirmed the ministry’s preparedness to cooperate with national entities and implement various programmes and initiatives aimed at investing in young talent showing exceptional experience in vital sectors to achieve efficiency and quality.

‘Protecting vital sectors’

“The launch of the internship programme is a pioneering initiative in all aspects and is considered an important and proactive step to enhance the nation’s capabilities in cyber security, and protection from any online attacks in light of the increased daily risks. This will result to protecting vital sectors by building a national base of youth equipped with the necessary skills to deal with any emergency electronic development in this field to achieve sustainability,” Al Hammadi added.

Ayman Al Shehhi, vice-president, Network Security, Etisalat, said: “With cyber security playing a fundamental role in all aspects of digital business today, Etisalat is honoured to be part of this government initiative that aims to help train incoming cyber professionals and hone their skills to address the changing cyber threats of tomorrow. At our Cyber Security Department, we will expose the interns to various cyber security domains where they will gain valuable insight and hands-on experience while working with security incidents and complex vulnerability management systems.”

With the success of this initial cohort of interns, the CSC plans to expand the programme in the future to include more interns and partners that will provide hands-on experience across different critical infrastructure sectors.