The tech giant, Microsoft has received Qatar’s National Information Assurance (NIA) Certification from the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), making it the country’s top global cloud provider and confirming its compliance with Information Security Management System (ISMS) standards.
The certification also endorses the Microsoft Cloud services, processes and data center sites in West and North Europe regions, as compliant with the National Information Assurance policy With NIA certification, customers in Qatar can leverage Microsoft cloud’s computing capabilities to operate at a global scale while being compliant with Qatar national privacy laws and regulations, in addition to over 100 compliance offerings around the world.
Ms. Lana Khalaf, Country General Manager Microsoft Qatar received the certification from HE Eng. Abdulrahman bin Ali Al-Malki, President of the National Cyber Security Agency, during the Qatar Cyberspace Compliance and Assurance Conference.
The certification represents a major milestone that Microsoft has been working towards in partnership with the NCSA and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) for many years, and creates a clear path for government agencies to host higher classified data sets with Microsoft cloud services.
The certification will also accelerate the adoption of cloud technology across Qatar and offer confidence to the public and private sectors that Microsoft Cloud services, including Azure, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, have undergone this level of assurance.
Dana Al Abdulla Director Governance & Assurance Affairs NSCA
“As we move forward in achieving our digital transformation agenda and Smart Qatar vision, it has become imperative for government entities, public and private enterprises to strategically manage cybersecurity risks. We acknowledge all the efforts that Microsoft has made toward achieving this important milestone on the path to organizational compliance. Awarding Microsoft the NIA Certification reflects our commitment to achieving a very high level of security for Qatar’s cyberspace.”
The company invests over $1 billion annually on security. The company has invested significantly towards building security into its core technologies like Windows, Office, and Azure, and in making strategic acquisitions of security technologies.
Microsoft’s soon to be launched new cloud region in Qatar will adhere to its trusted cloud principles and become part of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world, already serving more than a billion customers and 20 million businesses.
The Microsoft cloud services are compliant with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and are certified for a large portfolio of international security and privacy standards, some of which form the basis of Qatar government policies, including the Ministry of Transport and Communications’ National Information Assurance Policy and the Cloud Security and Information Privacy Protection regulations.
