CRA and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar issue IPv6 security guidelines
The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) have issued Security Guidelines for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), with the aim of providing support to organizations in Qatar that are currently implementing or planning to implement IPv6 in their networks. CMU-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.
The security guidelines show the network configuration commands necessary for IPv6 implementation, include diagrams that map each security measure to the role of networking equipment, and outline IPv6 security vulnerabilities and threats and the mitigations techniques for each issue. Therefore, it empowers networking and information security professionals within Qatar to ensure that they have considered the relevant security aspects of the IPv6, which is considered the next generation internet protocol that will serve as the backbone of the internet for the next several decades, as it provides higher internet security and ensures the readiness for new upcoming next generation technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT).
“We are pleased to issue this Security Guidelines, which we have developed in collaboration with CMU-Q that contribute to ensuring the security of IPv6 networks. The issuance of the Guidelines is considered an important step towards the implementation of the Qatar IPv6 National Strategy that CRA has developed to establish foundational and high-level guidance for the IPv6 transition in Qatar. I would like to thank CMU-Q who have lent their expertise in computing and networking to develop and issue this Security Guidelines, and we look forward to our further collaboration in the future,” said Ali Al-Suwaidi, Technical Affairs Department Director, CRA.
Dr. Michael Trick, Dean of CMU-Q, said, “I am very proud of this collaboration with CRA. Together, we worked to create a roadmap to implement better and more secure computing in Qatar. Everyone in Qatar who connects to the internet will benefit from this careful, thoughtful approach to improved connectivity for decades to come.”
“The IPv6 Security Guidelines is developed as an extension of the IPv6 Dual-Stack Implementation Guidelines we have issued earlier, where we aimed to cover the technical aspects of IPv6 security and to support and facilitate organizations’ smooth and wide transition to IPv6 across all sectors in Qatar. The Guidelines offers practical advice and instructions to organizations that they can tailor to their needs,” said Eng. Salma Al-Sulaiti, Standards and Next Generation Technology Section Head, CRA.
Khalid Sarwar Warraich, Chief Information Officer of CMU-Q and a key collaborator on the project, said, “We have worked hard so security and networking professionals can see the big picture at a glance and know exactly which security measures apply to each network element.”