Experts discuss cybersecurity challenges
2009-06-09
The field of information security is growing rapidly, as the risks and vulnerabilities of private data become more visible to the public. Experts say governments must use a global approach to address the problem.
By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 09/06/09
 [Getty Images] Citizens, experts say, are partly responsible for the security of their own information. |
Cyber-security fever is spreading around the world. Experts warn that if proper measures are not taken to protect sensitive information on the web, cyber-security vulnerabilities could pose a threat to the security of countries, not just individuals.
Putting that in mind, the Tunisian International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organised earlier this month a two-day Regional Cyber-security Forum for Africa and Arab countries. The forum took place in Tunis and was dubbed "Connecting the World Responsibly".
Officials and experts from many African and Arab countries attended the forum. Their main task was to identify some of the challenges their countries face to enhance cyber-security and secure the infrastructure to protect critical information.
"We are trying to confront cybercrime threatening our countries," said Miloud Amezien, head of the ITU Arab Regional Office. "Advanced IT and communications technology give pirates an opportunity to exploit the web in order to commit their crimes, take advantage of vulnerabilities of software, and hack databases of companies and organisations."
Participants agreed on a process to share information and join actions to develop cyber-security mechanisms, taking into consideration the key principles of matching the borderless and trans-national nature of cyber-threats.
ITU officials warned that attempts to address the challenges on national and regional levels will not be adequate enough to come up with solutions. In a statement, the ITU encouraged a global approach to these challenges.
Participants in one of the sessions during the forum reviewed means of enhancing the culture of cyber-security through creative partnerships, stressing the need to work together to effectively confront threats. They also agreed to share technical skills and called for investments in the field to allow a better capacity for development.
Citizens are also responsible for using the internet properly, participants said, to help with the security and protection of their own information.
Lamia Chaffai Sghaier, Secretary of State in charge of Information, Internet and Free Software urged officials to attract skilled Arab and African professionals to work in those countries and benefit the field of cyber-security, which in turn will create job opportunities for them.
The ITU, though its Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA), established a framework for international co-operation in the field of cyber-security. The GCA will enable the ITU to identify the techniques, procedures and organisations that can assist in confronting the threat of cybercrime.
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Anonymous Posted 2009-06-10
I would propose another title for this article: "Experts Take to Censuring the Internet." This would better define the experts here, whose true work objectives are in question. Often you have to scratch through the surface to discover the truth. Tunisia is very interested in the internet... wringing its neck, that is. In 2005, the Internet Summit in Tunis was plagued with incidents. The police beat human rights defenders in order to prevent them from participating in the summit. Foreign journalists were attacked in order to prevent them from their work. The International Federation of Journalists was shocked when a reporter from the French newspaper "Liberation" was attacked in front of his hotel by four individuals, the latter having every indication of being from the police and covered up by Tunis. The unfortunate journalist was beaten and then stabbed with a knife. They shouted threats at him, reminding him of the cause for the attack: his reporting on Tunisia. Your correspondent in Tunis ought to think about his health too. (I recommend it.) Among other incidents at this famous summit, there was that of the President of the Swiss Federation, whose microphone was diplomatically cut off during his official speech when he dared to talk about how the Internet must not be censored. Being the subject of censorship that he was, he did what he had to: he went home. In the world ranking of the biggest enemies of the Internet, Forbes gave Tunisia quite an honourably place: number three, just after China and Iran, but ahead of the military junta in Burma, Syria, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and even Uzbekistan, whose dictator Karimov has his opponents boiled. Libya, too, came after Tunisia.
maaroufi mouldi Posted 2009-06-15
This comment is full of hatred ,lies and fabrications to say the least .And it looks like the reader is more in tune with hallucinations than facts .He is all for anarchie , false reporting and distortion of truth and spreading of baseless propaganda .While the tunisian society is still having a better standard of life than many european countries i applaud all those responsable for the well being and welfare of the tunisian society and democracy.
ben brahim Posted 2009-06-16
you only have to recite the national anthem of tunisia to understand these people do not joke when it comes to the security of tunisia and to the tunisian people therefore everything is fair in love and war.you are not talking to pretenders or ignorants in this country as they are very well educated people except for those who missed the boat of reform and are still hiding behind the banner of freedom like our unanimous (blaguer) not blogger when(IRTA) international radio and television organisation.votes tunisia to vice -president of the board plus all the other achievements in information technology that explains everything they must be doing something right.
abderrahim Posted 2009-10-21
What is this cyber-security they are talking about? Isn't it something they've invented? It's just a piece of merchandise or medicine they sell to you.
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