Cybersecurity skills scarcity weakens Iraq’s digital security

Shafaq News – Baghdad

The shortage of specialized cybersecurity expertise is
undermining Iraq’s ability to protect its digital infrastructure,
Communications Minister Hiyam Al-Yasiri disclosed on Saturday.

Addressing a national cybersecurity conference in Baghdad,
Al-Yasiri warned that Iraq’s technological growth has outpaced its defensive
capabilities, stressing that “cybersecurity is no longer a technical issue but
a core pillar of national security.”

She said the government is working to build domestic
cybersecurity capacity through targeted training, with a focus on preparing
young professionals to support both public institutions and the private sector.
Strengthening local expertise, she explained, is essential to protecting
digital assets and sustaining confidence in Iraq’s emerging digital economy.

Al-Yasiri also announced the establishment of the National
Cybersecurity Center, describing it as the country’s first central body
dedicated to coordinating cyber defense efforts across government institutions.

The Center’s head Ali Hussein said during the conference
that the new body will oversee national cybersecurity operations and monitor
cybercrime enforcement “until a comprehensive legal framework is fully in
place.”

Read more: Iraq: A soft target in the Middle East’s cyber battlefield