Rabat – Morocco’s General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI) detected and neutralized 577 cybersecurity threats in 2021, Abdellatif Loudiyi, Minister Delegate of National Defense said on Monday.
The attacks targeted ministries and public establishments, and the DGSSI implemented preventative measures to protect its systems following the thwarting of each attack, Loudiyi said, according to reports by Moroccan news outlet Al Akhbarr.
Loudiyi revealed the numbers in response to a written question in the House of Representative, adding that the DGSSI also carries out audits and analysis of the security of IT systems in government bodies.
In the interest of keeping security systems up to date and preventing new attacks, the DGSSI released 621 security bulletins in 2021, with 188 of them alerting to security issues of critical nature.
The Directorate also successfully invented a cryptographic device to intercept coded attacks and programs through fax and telephone communications, the Minister Delegate said.
The agency also runs a monitoring center to detect attacks that are of particular danger to the country’s institutions and systems.
Beyond this, the DGSSI is working on implementing a secure electronic system for the sending and exchange of documents between different government agencies. The system is to be installed in all ministerial and legislative departments, Loudiyi said.
As Morocco becomes more reliant on digital infrastructure in all aspects, cybersecurity is becoming a growing priority especially as viruses and cyber attacks get more sophisticated.
Over the past two years, Morocco has taken steps to improve its cybersecurity standing. In 2021, King Mohammed VI approved a draft law that would create a legal framework for improving information systems around the country, and set standards for cybersecurity in public institutions.
The field has also seen the use of foreign expertise, such as the recently launched Cyber Security Center for Africa in Marrakech, which is the result of collaboration between Moroccan and British politicians and academics.
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