CTO, BIS, OCS partner to promote cyber-security at June conference

Tuesday, 20 April 2010 00:00

In an initiative to harness common responses to face a global challenge, the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO, the London-based premier ICT agency of the Commonwealth) is organising a cyber-security forum on 17-18 June 2010 in London, in partnership with the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the UK’s Office of Cyber-Security (OCS). The forum promises to bring together high level delegates and key decision makers from the public and private sectors together with the civil society from across the Commonwealth, to promote international cooperation in cyber-security.

The forum will focus on key themes such as the state under threat, individuals and children under threat, the role of CERTs, appropriate legal frameworks for cyber-security, cyber-security through international cooperation, organisational structures for effective cyber-security and the technical responses to cyber-security and threats.

Commenting on this new venture, Bashir Patel, CTO’s Director of Programmes and Business Development, said, ”With the Internet growing at an exponential rate and currently having an estimated 1.4 billion people as its citizens, it can have far-reaching influence over people, businesses and Governments. In order to establish basic protection for the users, reliability for businesses and security for the states, ethical standards in the cyberspace have to be established, legislation enacted, and enforcement implemented. The CTO has a duty to assist its members to gain the skills and competencies in order to achieve the necessary high standards to ensure a satisfactory level of cyber-security. This forum will provide stakeholders the opportunity to discuss diverse and key issues on Cyber security and crimes.”

Bashir Patel also welcomed the partnership with the UK Government through BIS and OCS, in organising this forum, “Given that cybercrime is “borderless”, an international approach to prevent cyber-threats is needed to combat cyber-challenges. While it is important for developing countries to participate at the forum and gain knowledge, it is also crucial for the developed countries to provide the support in building the skills and competencies needed to ensure that the entire cyber-space is safe and secure.”

The Cyber-Security Forum will aim to create awareness of the many facets of cyber-threats and alert stakeholders of the need to adopt robust cyber-security frameworks. The forum aims to build capacity of the key decision-makers in developing countries to implement strategies aimed at preventing and responding to cyber-threats in a timely and effective manner. The conference will provide decision-  makers with the means to adopt resilient technical measures, establish appropriate organisational structures and create robust legal/regulatory frameworks.

The forum also aims to facilitate partnerships and working relationships between the different players in cyber-security to enable the flow of information, expertise and resources. Speakers at the conference are expected to include policy-makers, regulators, law enforcement authorities, service providers and other stakeholders.

* Dating back to 1901, the CTO is an international development partnership between the Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth governments, businesses and civil society organisations. CTO provides the international community with effective means to help bridge the Digital Divide and achieve social and economic development, by delivering to developing countries unique knowledge-sharing programmes in the use of ICT. It is headquarted in London. Its mission is to reduce global poverty through the more efficient utilisation of ICT; its development agenda reflects the priorities set in the UN Millennium Development Goals.

More info:

• www.events.cto.int/CyberSecurity2010.

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