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Cybersecurity on global agenda at information society forum
ITU develops partnerships with Member States and industry
Geneva, 16 May 2013 – Cybersecurity took centre stage at the
WSIS Forum – the follow up process of the UN World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) that is currently taking place in Geneva, 13-17 May 2013.
The 2013 WSIS Forum is being held ten years after the Geneva Phase of WSIS,
which took place in 2003.
The High Level Dialogue at the WSIS Forum on “Securing cyberspace in a
borderless world: Vision 2015 and Beyond” focused on future strategies and
actions needed for harmonized international cooperation.
Citing annual losses of over USD 100 billion being caused by cybercrime ITU
Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré said, “In the security business, trust is
key, and if we do not start to develop such a culture of trust, there will be no
way that the cyber world can ever become truly safe and secure.”
Global initiatives within the framework of ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Agenda
(GCA), such as Child Online Protection (COP) and the International Multilateral
Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT) were reviewed.
The ITU-IMPACT Partners’ Meeting and COP Partners’ Meeting confirmed the
commitment in the private sector and among civil society leaders to work
together with governments and agreed on developing future activities and
projects.
Ghana seeks to safeguard cyberspace
Within the framework of the ITU-IMPACT initiative, the Ministry of
Communication of Ghana entered into an agreement with ITU on the establishment
of a national Computer Incident Response Team, strengthening its ability to
prevent and mitigate cybersecurity incidents. The project will provide Ghana
with the necessary capacity and technical capabilities to build a national point
of contact to respond in an effective manner to cybercrimes and cyberattacks.
The project will run for six months.
”This project demonstrates the commitment of Ghana to unleash the full
potential of ICT by ensuring security in cyberspace and building trust and
confidence in the use of the Internet,” said Minister of Communications Edward
Omane Boamah.
"This agreement will enable Ghana to join the global network that we are
building to secure cyberspace,” said Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s
Telecommunication Development Bureau. “Ghana will then become part of the
solution, curbing potential cyber threats that are currently emanating from
sources in Africa.”
Building partnerships
Approaching the 10-year anniversary of the Tunis Phase of WSIS, which took
place in 2005, the Forum meetings took stock of progress made on the outcomes –
Action Lines – of the Summit. Discussions at the Facilitation Meeting on Action
Line C5, which accorded ITU the responsibility for strengthening cybersecurity,
recognized the importance of building confidence in the use of ICTs in an
increasingly networked society and agreed to extend the dialogue beyond the
target date of 2015.
An important landmark was reached with ITU and ABI Research, a market
intelligence company specializing in technology, signing an agreement to
establish a Global Cybersecurity Index designed to facilitate information
sharing on cyberthreats among ITU Member States.
In line with an agreement made in 2011 with Symantec, the network security
company, ITU released the Internet Security Threat Report which presents
Symantec data and analysis on the threat landscape and reaches new milestones in
the fight against cyber threats. ITU’s ongoing commitment to publish Symantec
security reports aims to appraise Member States of rising threats in cyberspace,
in order to create a safer and more secure environment for all users
– governments and businesses and, most significantly, children and youth.
With the aim of enhancing child online safety, ITU and the Walt Disney
Company are joining forces to develop workshops to Train-the-Trainer during the
Be Safe, Be Smart track of the Global Youth Summit that will take place 9-11
September in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Furthermore, a workshop organized by ITU and the Commonwealth
Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) on the Establishment of COP National
Framework, emphasized that child protection is not only a matter of safeguarding
children’s rights but is a core human development component in meeting the
Millennium Development Goals. ITU and CTO have established COP National
Frameworks in six African Countries: Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria
and Sierra Leone.
“Cybersecurity is a borderless issue that requires a global approach and
concerted effort,” said Sanou. “The WSIS forum adds value as an enabling
platform for international cooperation on ICT for development and for
strengthening cybersecurity worldwide.”
Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information
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