(Ecofin Agency) - Tunisia has, since mid-September, a new cybersecurity agency that strives to better protect the country’s cyberspace amidst the rapid technological development. The new agency replaced the former National Agency for IT Security which has been in existence for 20 years. 

The Tunisian National Cybersecurity Agency (ANCS) and its Italian counterpart signed, last Friday, a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and digital trust services.

The deal was sealed under the supervision of the Tunisian Minister of Communication Technologies, Nizar Ben Neji. The Italian Ambassador to Tunisia, Fabrizio Saggio, was present as well.

"This memorandum of understanding is based on the two parties' cooperation agreement in the digital field, in line with an increased coordination of global efforts in the fields of information security, to protect cyberspace, ensure digital sovereignty, improve preparedness, bolster the response speed and vigilance to detect cyber risks early and tackle them effectively and efficiently," the Tunisian minister stated.

Ben Neji also announced “the implementation of joint cooperation mechanisms”. The MoU aims also to bolster experience and expertise sharing between the cybersecurity agencies of both countries and help them develop specialized skills.

It is worth noting that Tunisia’s ANCS was set up two weeks before the MoU was signed, replacing the National Agency for IT Security (ANCI). The new agency, according to the Tunisian government, aims to "better protect the national cyberspace, reinforce digital trust and protect vital infrastructures, to achieve leadership in the digital field at regional and international level."

On September 20, state-owned telecommunications company Tunisie Telecom announced that it had abandoned IPv4 and deployed IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) on its network. According to the operator, this is a first in the country, enabling access to the latest Internet protocol standard.

Victoria Sedji