Headline: The Altenar Security Team collaborates with the Maltese National Cybersecurity Community

Altenar Information Security Manager Keith Barbara was in attendance of the CYBER Breakfast event last month, supporting the session ‘Managing Risk with NIST CSF V2.0: A Practical Workshop’

The event hosted by MITA-NCC, was exclusively for members forming part of the National Cybersecurity Community. This assembly facilitated an immersive workshop for cybersecurity practitioners, focusing on the development of a Cybersecurity Profile utilising the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) v2.0.

Keith, who represents the Online Gaming Industry on the Consultation Council within the Maltese National Cybersecurity Community, made a significant contribution to the event. He played a vital role in delivering the workshop, offering valuable insights into specific controls within the NIST CSF and sharing his expertise on strengthening cybersecurity measures.

Participants engaged in collaborative activities during the event to formulate cybersecurity profiles for hypothetical organisations, selecting and prioritising controls while addressing industry-specific challenges. These profiles were subsequently evaluated against realistic threat scenarios in a table-top exercise, underscoring the imperative of risk management and proactive cybersecurity strategies.

A principal outcome of the event was the realisation that while organisations will inevitably incur some degree of loss during a cybersecurity incident, the extent of such loss is directly correlated with their preparedness level. Effective cybersecurity planning and proactive defense strategies can substantially mitigate the repercussions of potential threats. 

Furthermore, emphasis was placed on the critical importance of a robust and secure supply chain. Vulnerabilities inherent in suppliers or third-party vendors can exert a substantial negative effect on an organisation's aggregate security framework. It is therefore imperative to ensure the application of cybersecurity best practices across the entire supply chain to mitigate risks and forestall consequential security disruptions.

The National Cybersecurity Community is committed to the safeguarding of Maltese and EU cyberspace through the promotion of collaboration, knowledge dissemination, and skill enhancement within a robust cybersecurity community. Through pragmatic activities and educational programs, the Community empowers professionals to develop advanced cybersecurity solutions.

Membership in the National Cybersecurity Community presents industry professionals with opportunities for collaboration with subject-matter experts, access to valuable resources, and the ability to contribute to the augmentation of cybersecurity defenses across diverse sectors. Membership fosters continuous learning, skill development, and the opportunity to influence the future trajectory of cybersecurity at both national and European levels.

In the contemporary, dynamic digital environment, participation in a community such as the National Cybersecurity Community is indispensable for maintaining vigilance against emerging threats and ensuring the resilience of interconnected systems.