Abstract
With the adoption of advanced information technology around the world where it relates directly to our productivity, success and heath, it is crucially important to tightly secure these fast-growing technologies to ensure sustainable development. The most important strategy to secure information technology is to conduct relevant research on developing more effective methods and novel products to ensure information security and reliability. It is also crucially important to create awareness and educate common people to understand the importance of securing information and to make them able to properly utilize the available technologies. This is the role of the center of excellence in information security at King Saud University as well as other centers worldwide that group multidisciplinary researchers to coordinate in tackling multitude problems of information security. We have taken an initiative to establish a center of excellence in information security at King Saud University with the aim to promote quality research and education in the field of information security. This paper summarizes the overall approach including center vision, mission, goals, philosophy, structure and other aspects. A brief account of infrastructure and expertise of well known information security centers around the world is also presented.