Sana'a: An awareness seminar entitled "The Dangers of Using the Starlink Network to National Security and Sovereignty" was held in Sana'a today. It was organized by the Cyber Security Group as part of the graduation project requirements for students in the Media Department of the Higher Academy for the Holy Quran and its Sciences, in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
According to Yemen News Agency, during the seminar, Mohammed Al-Nuaimi, a member of the Supreme Political Council, emphasized the role of academic institutions in raising societal awareness and building responsible media and technological literacy, which contributes to protecting society from increasing cyber challenges and risks. He noted that the seminar was organized as part of the graduation project requirements for students in the Media Department of the Higher Academy for the Holy Quran, as it raises awareness of the dangers of using such networks to Yemen's national security.
Speeches were delivered at the symposium by the Academy's Registrar, Fadl Mufaddal, the Cybersecurity Group Supervisor, Dr. Muhammad Al-Qulaysi, and student Abdulhamid Salama. These speeches emphasized the importance of the symposium as part of a practical graduation project undertaken by students in the Cybersecurity Group within the Academy's Media Department. This project was implemented in accordance with the leadership's directives to establish this scientific and academic institution, which is founded on linking academic knowledge with the Quranic vision and the issues and responsibilities facing the Muslim community.
The speakers indicated that the symposium aimed to highlight the security and technical risks associated with using unlicensed internet networks, particularly Starlink, and the threat they pose to information security and digital sovereignty, as well as their negative impact on user privacy and data security. They noted that the Higher Academy for the Holy Quran prioritizes enhancing media and security awareness among its students, contributing to the development of a conscious generation capable of safely using modern technologies.
The seminar, attended by Al-Azzi Rajih, a member of the Association of Scholars, as well as academics, students, and those interested in the fields of technology and media, addressed four main topics. The first topic, presented by Sadiq Al-Sufi, Information Security Officer at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, was titled "Unauthorized Starlink Stations: Challenges and Risks." The second session, presented by Colonel Dr. Mohammed Al-Rahbi, Assistant Professor of Public Law at the College of Graduate Studies, focused on "The Role of Security Agencies in Protecting and Monitoring the Starlink System." The third session, presented by Dr. Abu Jazem Al-Jaradi, Professor at the Higher Academy, addressed "Forms of Soft Warfare." The fourth session, presented by Engineer Omar Al-Mutawakkil, a cybersecurity researcher at the Military and Technical Research Center at Sana'a University, discussed "Cybersecurity: The Integrated System for Protection."
The symposium sessions addressed the most prominent challenges associated with the use of Starlink networks, hacking mechanisms and information gathering, the role these networks can play in facilitating espionage and data transfer outside the scope of official oversight, and the importance of public awareness regarding the dangers of using them. The symposium recommended the necessity of media awareness campaigns to highlight the risks and harms of Starlink networks to national and personal security, and the need to activate and enforce laws due to their negative impact on limiting the spread of many harmful phenomena that threaten the security of society and citizens.
At the conclusion of the symposium, Al-Nuaimi, a member of the Supreme Political Council, honored the academics and the entities that supported the graduation project with commemorative shields.