The IT Security Unit implements IT Security practices in the Civil Service through the elaboration of policies and guidelines which are disseminated to Ministries and Departments. 

Advice is provided upon request on prevailing systems.

The IT Security Unit has established the process through which ICT Security incidents are reported and handled across the whole Civil Service. A specialised team, the Government Security Incident Response Team (G-SIRT) has been established, within the IT Security Unit (ITSU) of the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation (MTCI), to respond effectively to ICT Security incidents in the civil service.

The G-SIRT provides reactive services as well as proactive services in order to combat cyber threats. The team handles ICT Security incidents reported by governmental departments and respond to security vulnerabilities. Apart from reactive services, it also engages in proactive services such as vulnerability analysis and IT Security audits.

The G-SIRT monitors and controls an Automated ICT Security Incident Handling System (AISIHS) to achieve better tracking and timely resolution of incidents. The system allows the online recording of ICT Security incidents occurring at any governmental department.

The benefits of incident management by the G-SIRT include:

•      timely resolution of incidents, reducing business impact and increasing effectiveness;

•      proactive identification of beneficial system enhancements;

•      generation of informative statistics and reports for effective decision making; and

•      information sharing on security threats to protect Government infrastructures.