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Capacity Building
Capacity building needs to be promoted in order to develop a sustainable
and proactive culture of cybersecurity. People are the weakest link. One
of the key challenges of cybersecurity is effectively educating the end
user. Understanding and awareness of the potential dangers are critical
if the end-user is to benefit from ICTs safely. This is a matter that
concerns all stakeholders from governments and industry to education
both at school and at home. With the important role that ICTs play today
in providing services in sectors as varied as health, education, finance
and commerce, awareness of the opportunities offered by a secure cyber
environment and of the threats inherent to cyber space are vital.
Programmes aimed at creating a level playing-field in raising basic
awareness and building capacity at all levels are important, and these
also need to be undertaken within the international arena.
Within the framework of GCA and in line with ITU mandate to assist
Member States in developing cybersecurity capacity, among other things,
the ITU works to facilitate the implementation and deployment of
cybersecurity capabilities necessary to combat cyber-threats. As such,
the ITU is playing a key role in implementing the main goals of GCA
while responding to the urgent needs of Member States.
ITU National Cybersecurity/CIIP Self-Assessment Tool
The ITU National Cybersecurity/CIIP Self-Assessment Tool
is a practical initiative to
assist ITU Member States
who wish to
design their national approach for cybersecurity and critical
information infrastructure protection (CIIP). The Tool is one of a
number of complementary cybersecurity resources that ITU is currently
developing as part of a comprehensive cybersecurity toolkit for ITU
Member States.
Cybersecurity and CIIP are the shared responsibilities of government,
business, other organizations, and individual users who develop, own,
provide, manage, service and use information systems and networks (the
“participants”).
Managing inherent
security risks requires the active cooperation of all participants,
addressing the security concerns relevant to their roles. The collective
goal is to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from any
incidents rapidly, while minimizing damage. In any interconnected
system, roles and responsibilities often overlap. Only when all
participants share a common understanding of the security objectives,
how to achieve them and of their individual roles in the effort, can
this collective goal of a safe and secure communications be achieved.
Governments are in a position to lead national efforts to enhance
cybersecurity and improve CIIP. The preparation of a national
cybersecurity strategy has proven to be a valuable tool for effective
and coordinated action. By establishing a common vision and delineating
roles and responsibilities, such a strategy can provide a guide for
managing risks inherent in ICT use and addressing cybersecurity and CIIP.
Such a strategy can also provide valuable support for enhanced regional
and international cooperation. After a nation has gained valuable
domestic experience of addressing cybersecurity and CIIP issues, it can
participate more meaningfully and make a more valuable contribution to
global cooperative security efforts.
In this regard, the ITU National Cybersecurity/CIIP Self-Assessment Tool
aims to assist ITU Member States in developing their national strategy
by examining their existing capacities for addressing challenges to
cybersecurity and CIIP, identifying their requirements and outlining a
national response plan. It is directed at leadership in the policy and
management levels of government. The Tool also seeks to produce a
snapshot of the current state of national cybersecurity and CIIP
efforts, identify goals, and define the roles of the key participants in
order to set priorities, establish timeframes and provide metrics.
The ITU, through its Telecommunication Development Sector, provides
Member States with the assistance needed to undertake an initial
self-assessment, as well as providing relevant support for countries
which are in the process of developing and/or reassessing their national
cybersecurity strategies.
ITU Toolkit for Promoting a Culture of Cybersecurity
The purpose of the ITU Toolkit for Promoting a Culture of Cybersecurity
is to provide guidelines on how to raise awareness on cybersecurity
issues for SMEs, consumers and end-users in developing countries.
Considering that personal computers, mobile phones, and other devices
are becoming ever more powerful, that technologies are converging, that
the use of ICTs is becoming more and more widespread, and that
connections across national borders are increasing, all participants who
develop, own, provide, manage, service and maintain information networks
must understand cybersecurity issues and take action appropriate to
their roles to protect networks. Governments can, and should, take a
leadership role in promoting a culture of cybersecurity and in
supporting the cybersecurity and cyber safety efforts undertaken by
other stakeholders.
ITU Botnet Mitigation Toolkit
ITU is working with experts on developing a practical Botnet Mitigation
Toolkit
to assist
developing
countries in particular to deal
with the growing problem of botnets. The Botnet Mitigation Toolkit is a
multi-stakeholder, multi-pronged approach to track botnets and mitigate
their impact, with a particular emphasis on the problems specific to
emerging internet economies.
IMPACT Training and Skills Development Centre
In collaboration with leading ICT companies and institutions, IMPACT
conducts high-level briefings for the benefit of representatives of ITU
Member States. Many of IMPACT’s key partners have made available their
respective Chief Technical Officers, Chief Research Officers and other
experts in a unique high-level IMPACT programme to keep governments
abreast of present and future cyber threats. The ITU contributes its
experience in capacity-building and developing frameworks for policy
response to this programme. Such high-level, cross-industry briefings
give ITU Member States invaluable exposure and privileged private sector
insight about the latest trends, potential threats and emerging
technologies.
IMPACT Research Division
The focus of the Research Division is to direct academic attention,
including from universities and research institutes, to areas of concern
that may not currently be adequately addressed. This includes research
into new areas, as well as specialized niche areas. With a small user
base, niche technologies may not be commercially viable for
industry-oriented solutions, making governments or organizations using
such technologies vulnerable to threats. IMPACT is committed to making
facilities available and encouraging joint research efforts to address
these specific areas of concern. In collaboration with the ITU, IMPACT
is making its research network available for the benefit of interested
ITU Member States. Besides the academic network, IMPACT global
headquarters provides ITU membership with access to specialized ICT
laboratories, specialized equipment, resource centre and other
facilities.
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