What is cyber security?

Cyber security is the protection of internet-connected systems such as

hardware, software and data from cyber threats. The practice is used by
individuals and enterprises to protect against unauthorized access to data
centers and other computerized systems.

A strong cyber security strategy can provide a good security posture against
malicious attacks designed to access, alter, delete, destroy or extort an
organization's or user's systems and sensitive data. Cybersecurity is also
instrumental in preventing attacks that aim to disable or disrupt a system's or
device's operations.

Why is cyber security important?

With an increasing number of users, devices and programs in the modern
enterprise, combined with the increased deluge of data -- much of which is
sensitive or confidential -- the importance of cyber security continues to grow.
The growing volume and sophistication of cyber attackers and attack
techniques compound the problem even further.

What are the elements of cyber security and how does it work?
The cyber security field can be broken down into several different sections,
the coordination of which within the organization is crucial to the success of a
cyber security program. These sections include the following:

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF

The ultimate guide to cyber security planning for businesses

• Application security

• Information or data security

• Network security
• Disaster recovery/business continuity planning

• Operational security

• Cloud security

• Critical infrastructure security

• Physical security

• End-user education

Maintaining cyber security in a constantly evolving threat landscape is a

challenge for all organizations. Traditional reactive approaches, in which
resources were put toward protecting systems against the biggest known
threats, while lesser known threats were undefended, is no longer a sufficient
tactic. To keep up with changing security risks, a more proactive and adaptive
approach is necessary. Several key cyber security advisory organizations
offer guidance. For example, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) recommends adopting continuous monitoring and real-
time assessments as part of a risk assessment framework to defend against
known and unknown threats.

What are the benefits of cyber security?

The benefits of implementing and maintaining cyber security practices include:

• Business protection against cyber attacks and data breaches.

• Protection for data and networks.

• Prevention of unauthorized user access.

• Improved recovery time after a breach.

• Protection for end users and endpoint devices.

• Regulatory compliance.

• Business continuity.
• Improved confidence in the company's reputation and trust for developers,
partners, customers, stakeholders and employees.
What are the different types of cyber security threats?
The process of keeping up with new technologies, security trends and threat
intelligence is a challenging task. It is necessary in order to protect information
and other assets from cyberthreats, which take many forms. Types of
cyberthreats include:

• Malware is a form of malicious software in which any file or program can

be used to harm a computer user. This includes worms, viruses, Trojans
and spyware.

• Ransomware is another type of malware. It involves an attacker locking

the victim's computer system files -- typically through encryption -- and
demanding a payment to decrypt and unlock them.

• Social engineering is an attack that relies on human interaction to trick

users into breaking security procedures to gain sensitive information that is
typically protected.

• Phishing is a form of social engineering where fraudulent email or text

messages that resemble those from reputable or known sources are sent.
Often random attacks, the intent of these messages is to steal sensitive
data, such as credit card or login information.

• Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack that has an intended target

user, organization or business.

• Insider threats are security breaches or losses caused by humans -- for

example, employees, contractors or customers. Insider threats can
be malicious or negligent in nature.

• Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are those in which multiple

systems disrupt the traffic of a targeted system, such as a server, website
or other network resource. By flooding the target with messages,
 connection requests or packets, the attackers can slow the system or
crash it, preventing legitimate traffic from using it.

• Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are prolonged targeted attacks in

which an attacker infiltrates a network and remains undetected for long
periods of time with the aim to steal data.

• Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are eavesdropping attacks that involve

an attacker intercepting and relaying messages between two parties who
believe they are communicating with each other.

Other common attacks include botnets, drive-by-download attacks, exploit

kits, malvertising, vishing, credential stuffing attacks, cross-site scripting
(XSS) attacks, SQL injection attacks, business email compromise (BEC) and
zero-day exploits.

Malware
variants vary, from ransomware to worm to virus.
What are the top cyber security challenges?
Cyber security is continually challenged by hackers, data loss, privacy, risk
management and changing cyber security strategies. The number of cyber
attacks is not expected to decrease in the near future. Moreover, increased
entry points for attacks, such as with the arrival of the internet of things (IoT),
increase the need to secure networks and devices.

One of the most problematic elements of cyber security is the evolving nature
of security risks. As new technologies emerge, and as technology is used in
new or different ways, new attack avenues are developed. Keeping up with
these frequent changes and advances in attacks, as well as updating
practices to protect against them, can be challenging. Issues include ensuring
all elements of cyber security are continually updated to protect against
potential vulnerabilities. This can be especially difficult for smaller
organizations without the staff or in-house resources.

Additionally, organizations can gather a lot of potential data on individuals who

use one or more of their services. With more data being collected, the
likelihood of a cybercriminal who wants to steal personally identifiable
information (PII) is another concern. For example, an organization that stores
PII in the cloud may be subject to a ransomware attack. Organizations should
do what they can to prevent a cloud breach.

Cyber security programs should also address end-user education, as

employees may accidently bring viruses into the workplace on their laptops or
mobile devices. Regular security awareness training will help employees do
their part in keeping their company safe from cyber threats.

Another challenge to cyber security includes a shortage of qualified cyber

security personnel. As the amount of data collected and used by businesses
grows, the need for cyber security staff to analyze, manage and respond to
incidents also increases. (ISC)2 estimated the workplace gap between needed
cybersecurity jobs and security professionals at 3.1 million.

How is automation used in cyber security?

Automation has become an integral component to keep companies protected
from the growing number and sophistication of cyberthreats. Using artificial
intelligence (AI) and machine learning in areas with high-volume data streams
can help improve cyber security in three main categories:

• Threat detection. AI platforms can analyze data and recognize known

threats, as well as predict novel threats.

• Threat response. AI platforms also create and automatically enact

security protections.

• Human augmentation. Security pros are often overloaded with alerts and
repetitive tasks. AI can help eliminate alert fatigue by automatically triaging
low-risk alarms and automating big data analysis and other repetitive
tasks, freeing humans for more sophisticated tasks.

Other benefits of automation in cybersecurity include attack classification,

malware classification, traffic analysis, compliance analysis and more.

Cyber security vendors and tools

Vendors in the cyber security field typically offer a variety of security products
and services. Common security tools and systems include:

• Identity and access management (IAM)

• Firewalls

• Endpoint protection

• Antimalware

• Intrusion prevention/detection systems (IPS/IDS)

• Data loss prevention (DLP)

• Endpoint detection and response

• Security information and event management (SIEM)

• Encryption tools

• Vulnerability scanners

• Virtual private networks (VPNs)

• Cloud workload protection platform (CWPP)

• Cloud access security broker (CASB)

Well-known cybersecurity vendors include Check Point, Cisco, Code42,

CrowdStrike, FireEye, Fortinet, IBM, Imperva, KnowBe4, McAfee, Microsoft,
Palo Alto Networks, Rapid7, Splunk, Symantec, Trend Micro and Trustwave.

What are the career opportunities in cyber security?

As the cyberthreat landscape continues to grow and new threats emerge --
such as IoT threats -- individuals are needed with cybersecurity
awareness and hardware and software skills.
 CISO
tasks range widely to maintain enterprise cybersecurity.

IT professionals and other computer specialists are needed in security roles,

such as:

• Chief information security officer (CISO) is the individual who

implements the security program across the organization and oversees the
IT security department's operations.

• Chief security office (CSO) is the executive responsible for the physical
and/or cybersecurity of a company.

• Security engineers protect company assets from threats with a focus on

quality control within the IT infrastructure.

• Security architects are responsible for planning, analyzing, designing,

testing, maintaining and supporting an enterprise's critical infrastructure.
 • Security analysts have several responsibilities that include planning
security measures and controls, protecting digital files, and conducting
both internal and external security audits.

• Penetration testers are ethical hackers who test the security of systems,
networks and applications, seeking vulnerabilities that could be exploited
by malicious actors.

• Threat hunters are threat analysts who aim to uncover vulnerabilities and
attacks and mitigate them before they compromise a business.

Other cyber security careers include security consultants, data protection

officer, cloud security architects, security operations manager (SOC)
managers and analysts, security investigators, cryptographers and security
administrators.

What Is Cyber Warfare?

Cyber Warfare is typically defined as a set of actions by a nation or organization

to attack countries or institutions' computer network systems with the intention of
disrupting, damaging, or destroying infrastructure by computer viruses or denial-
of-service attacks.
What Does Cyber Warfare Look Like?

Cyber warfare can take many forms, but all of them involve either the
destabilization or destruction of critical systems. The objective is to weaken the
target country by compromising its core systems.

This means cyber warfare may take several different shapes:

1. Attacks on financial infrastructure

2. Attacks on public infrastructure like dams or electrical systems
3. Attacks on safety infrastructure like traffic signals or early warning systems
4. Attacks against military resources or organizations

Cyber Warfare vs. Cyber War

Cyber warfare is different from cyber war in that cyber warfare typically refers to
the techniques used while engaging in cyber war. For example, a state-sponsored
hacker may try to hack into the Bank of England as an act of cyber warfare while
engaging in a cyber war against England and its allies.
What Are the Types of Cyber Warfare?

Espionage

Espionage refers to spying on another country to steal secrets. In cyber warfare,

this may involve using a botnet or spear-fishing attack to gain a foothold in a
computer before extracting sensitive information.
Sabotage

With sensitive information identified, organizations then need to determine the

potential threats presented to this data. This includes third parties that may want to
steal the data, competitors that could gain an advantage by stealing information,
and insider threats or malicious insiders like disgruntled workers or negligent
employees
Denial-of-Service Attack

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack involves flooding a website with fake requests,

forcing the site to process those requests, thereby making it unavailable for
legitimate users. This kind of attack could be used to cripple a critical website used
by citizens, military personnel, safety personnel, scientists, or others to disrupt
critical operations or systems.
Electrical Power Grid

Hacking the electrical power grid could give an attacker the ability to disable
critical systems, crippling infrastructure and causing the deaths of thousands.
Further, an attack on the electrical power grid could disrupt communications,
making it impossible to use services like text messaging or telecommunication.
Propaganda

Propaganda attacks involve trying to control the minds or hearts of the people
living in or fighting for the targeted country. Propaganda can be used to expose
embarrassing truths or to spread lies that cause people to lose faith in their
country—or even sympathize with the enemy

.
Economic Disruption

Most modern economic systems depend on computers to function. Attacking the

computer networks of economic facilities like stock markets, payment systems, or
banks can give hackers access to funds or prevent their targets from getting the
money they need to live or engage in cyber or other warfare.
Surprise Cyber attack

These refer to the kinds of cyber attacks that would have an effect similar to
Pearl Harbor or 9/11—massive strikes that catch the enemy off guard, weakening
their defenses. They could be used to weaken the opponent in preparation for a
physical attack as a form of hybrid warfare.

Reasons and Motivations for Cyber Warfare

Military

It is in the military’s best interests to gain control of key elements of an enemy

nation’s cyberspace. An effective cyberattack could bring an enemy country’s
military to its knees and secure what would have been an otherwise costly victory.
Civil

Attacking the civil infrastructure of a nation directly impacts the people living and
working in the country. This could be used to inspire fear or cause them to revolt
against the government in protest, weakening the opponent from a political
standpoint.
Hacktavism

Hacktivism involves hackers using cyberattacks to promote an ideology.

Hacktivists can engage in cyber warfare by spreading propaganda or going after
secrets and then exposing them to the rest of the world. In these ways, hacktivists
can weaken an opponent’s standing on the world stage, precluding support from
other countries.
Income Generation

Cyber warfare “soldiers” can engage in these kinds of attacks for their own
financial benefit. If they are employed by the government, they can earn a fee for
their services. Further, they could break the defenses of a financial institution and
steal money for themselves.
Nonprofit Research
Nonprofit research often reveals very valuable information that a country can use
to solve a critical problem. For example, if a country is trying to develop a vaccine
and another one already has it, cyber warfare could be used to steal information
pertaining to their solution.

What is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime is construed as using a computer as a weapon, or instrument, to advance
or secure something deemed illegal. Think stealing identities or intellectual property,
committing fraud, or violating privacy laws. These are just several examples.

Here are 5 of the top cybercrimes affecting businesses and individuals in 2022:

1. Phishing Scams
2. Website Spoofing
3. Ransomware
4. Malware
5. IOT Hacking

Follow along below to understand what threat actors use to steal data, their types of
tools, and how to go about protecting yourself. In the end, the goal is to feel safe instead
of sorry — even if it means taking an extra minute or two to embrace extra safety
measures.

Cybercrime Examples
Phishing Scams

The majority of successful cyber attacks - 91% according to a study by PhishMe - begin
when curiosity, fear, or a sense of urgency entices someone to enter personal data or
click on a link.

Phishing emails mimic messages from someone you know or a business that you trust.
They are designed to trick people into giving up personal information or clicking on a
malicious link that downloads malware. Thousands of phishing attacks are launched
every day.

BlueVoyant also offers tips and advice on what to look for, how to recognize phishing,
and how to protect your digital brand presence.

What you can do: Stop trusting your emails. They are not always what they seem.
Security awareness and phishing training can empower your team to defend against
phishing attacks. Training can show the telltale signs and teach how to recognize
targeted phishing campaigns, as well as malicious links, and encourage users to stay
away from links and attachments. One simple way is to go to websites by typing the real
URL into their browser.

Website Spoofing

The word spoof means to hoax, trick, or deceive. Website spoofing is when a website is
designed to look like a real one and deceive you into believing it is a legitimate site. This
is done to gain your confidence, get access to your systems, steal data, steal money, or
spread malware.

Website spoofing works by replicating a legitimate website with a big company’s style,
branding, user interface, and even domain name in an attempt to trick users into
entering their usernames and passwords. This is how the bad guys capture your data or
drop malware onto your computer.

Spoofed websites are generally used in conjunction with an email that links to the
illegitimate website. As of last August, spoofing and phishing may have cost businesses
as much as $354 million.

What you can do: The easiest thing you can do is ignore and delete anything you’re not
anticipating. Legitimate companies will have multiple ways to contact you in the event
they need to reach you. Save time and frustration by applying common sense logic and
evaluating the “urgency” of the message. Also, pick up the phone or go directly to the
trusted domain to inquire.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a modern day, technical twist on a crime that has been around for ages
- extortion. At its core, ransomware works when criminals steal something of great value
and demand payment in exchange for its return. For most businesses, this involves the
encryption of company data. When ransomware hits, businesses come to a standstill,
and employees cannot do their jobs.

Without restorable backup data, the company is generally at the mercy of the attacker
who will hold your data hostage in exchange for a decryption key you can buy with
Bitcoin.

Ransomware has matured into its own category of malware and should be a primary
concern for all organizations. According to new research, ransomware breaches have
increased by 13% – more than the last five years combined.

What you can do: Back your data up and then do it again — in a separate location.
Frequency and redundancy are key to your success. If you only back up your system
weekly, or if your backup is infected, you’re in for a lot of trouble.
Malware

Norton defines malware as “malicious software” specifically designed to gain access to

or damage a computer. In the case of ransomware, it's designed to hold your data
hostage, but that isn’t the only kind. There can be multiple objectives for malware -
power, influence, money, information - but the result is always the same - a time
consuming, often expensive recovery effort.

Common types of malware include:

• Viruses that spread, damage functionality, and corrupt files

• Trojans disguised as legitimate software that quietly create backdoors to let
other malware into your network
• Worms that can infect all of the devices connected to a network
• Ransomware that holds your data hostage
• Botnets - a network of infected devices that work together under the control of
an attacker

What you can do: Be cautious about email attachments, avoid suspicious websites (look
at the spellings carefully), install and continually update a high-quality antivirus program.

IOT Hacking

The Internet of Things is a brave new world that has opened insights into our daily
routines and our business processes to the web. Whether we like it or not, all of these
internet-connected objects are collecting and exchanging data. As you know, data is
valuable and for that reason, hackers will look to exploit any devices that aggregate it.

The more “things” we connect - the juicier the reward becomes for hackers. That’s why
it’s important to remember that personal passwords and business passwords all belong
to humans… with memories that we know are going to let us down from time to time.

What you can do: Use a password generator to secure all devices with unique
passwords. Here’s a list of the top 10 password managers you can use to help you keep
your devices more secure.

Remember, while you’re working within a business, each person has to take personal
responsibility for ensuring your cyber security. You have to prioritize your risks and think
through the scenarios that are likely to affect you, based on what you know about your
unique infrastructure and team. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take a proactive approach.
Keep focused on what’s coming and work to bring your team up to speed to create the
strongest defense against cybe attacks.
How to Prevent Cybercrime
Stay Up to Date

It goes without saying but having the most up-to-date security software provides better
protection against hackers, malware, viruses, and more. This is only one piece of the
actions you can take, but an important one.

Be Smart with Devices

That computer, smart phone, tablet, and social media site you can’t get enough of are
also avenues for bad actors to steal data. It’s not a complete doomsday scenario. Each
device or site normally has security settings in the form of pins, passwords, and control
over who sees your content. Brush up on security features and use them to your
advantage. And, finally, be smart. Don’t share passwords, codes or pins with anyone.

Don’t Go Public If You Can

That free WIFI stores, restaurants, and other public places offer may be free, but it can
come with collateral fallout. In other words, free may come with a cost if you’re not
careful.

Keep this in mind: if it’s free to you, it’s also free to threat actors. Be careful entering any
personal information, using apps with passwords or entering login information, because
hackers can see what you’re doing. The best advice is to steer clear of public WIFI, or
simply don’t enter any data that can be compromised.

Simple and Easy

When not using a computer, smart phone, tablet or any other device that has
connectivity, simply lock or log off when you’re not using them. Visions of bad actors
conjure up faceless hackers who live in the ether but be aware that they also exist in the
flesh. Leave that laptop unlocked, step away for even a few minutes, and anyone can
walk up and gain instant access.

Don’t Phish

Follow an adage as old as the hills: if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is. The
same applies when you come across a link, text, email, online advertising or website
that looks inviting, yet suspicious. Be vigilant about any types of these — including
credit card company phone calls — requesting personal information. If they immediately
request personal data, or information, be weary.
Minimize Info

Sure, businesses are trying to capture personal information for marketing and third-
party services, but it’s best to steer away from entering data like birthdates, social
security numbers, and any other information tied to your identity. It leaves a digital
footprint that hackers love.

A Comprehensive IT Security Policy to

Protect You from Cyber attacks

Cyber security

Does your organization have a comprehensive IT security policy to

effectively protect your data and network from potential cyberattacks?
Have you considered what security measures you currently have in
place, and whether or not they’re sufficient to protect your organization
from advanced threats, like ransomware?

A comprehensive IT security policy will help you to effectively protect

your data, ensuring that you don’t end up a victim. Read along to learn
more about what a comprehensive security policy is, the benefits of
having one, and 4 steps you need to take to build your own.

What is Cyber security Anyway, in Plain English?

But before we dive into the nuances of a comprehensive security policy,

let’s start with the basics: what is cyber security anyway? Check out the
video below, which explains what cybersecurity is, in plain English.

What is a Comprehensive IT Security Policy?

To ensure that you are effectively protecting your data, you need
something that works to prevent breaches, detect potential threats,
analyze suspicious activity, and provide remediation in the event that
something does occur. That’s where IT security policy comes into play.
A comprehensive IT security policy is essentially a battle plan that
guides your organization, ensuring that your data and network is guarded
from potential security threats. Think of it as a link between your people,
processes, and technology. When a security breach happens, it’s likely
because one of these links has failed.

Having IT security policy in place, therefore, should tell your employees

what’s expected of them, and helps to educate them on safe and secure
procedures they should be following. Such a policy should encompass a
variety of activities, like how your organization’s workstations will be
configured, how your employees will log in, building access procedures
to be aware of, and how your employees should be trained – after all,
security breaches at the end-user level can often be prevented if the end-
users are aware of safe practices.

5 benefits of Having a Comprehensive IT Security Policy

A security breach is a costly thing, with average costs of $120,000 USD

for a small to midsize business (SMB), or $1.23 million USD for an
enterprise. Further, 46% of IT security incidents are caused
by uninformed or careless employees.

With statistics like that, it’s pretty clear that having IT security policy in
place would be pretty beneficial! Here are five tangible benefits of
having a Security Policy to think about:

🔒 1. It helps you to enhance your organization’s overall security

posture. This means there are fewer security incidents and more
uptime for applications, as issues are pre-emptively avoided.

✔️ 2. It helps you to better prepare for auditing and compliance

requirements.

⏲️ 3. It leads to increased operational efficiency.

📝 4. It also leads to increased accountability for both users and
stakeholders within your organization.

💬 5. It provides your organization with a solid strategy around

effective communication and enforcement of policies.

4 Steps to Build Your Comprehensive IT Security Policy

Developing a comprehensive IT security policy is an ambitious task, but

the real challenge comes later in the process. Unless your policies are
effectively communicated, enforced, and updated, your employees won’t
know what’s required of them and won’t comply with essential
standards. Your IT security policy must, therefore, be integrated into
your organization’s job descriptions and employee routines.

Working with an experienced team who can help you through the
process saves you time and money and alleviates the associated
headaches that come with it. Here is a 4-phase approach we follow when
developing IT security policy for our customers:

Phase 1 – Make the Case for a Comprehensive Security

Policy, then Assess and Prioritize.

Once your business goals are determined, the security requirements

should be aligned with minimal disruptions. We recommend that you
use a phased/prioritized approach for implementing your comprehensive
security policy.

Phase 2 – Develop your IT Security Policy

An ideal policy framework has both high-level and granular components

that can be balanced and evolve with changing corporate governance,
legal and regulatory objectives, without hindering your organization’s
workflow.
What is the need for nodal authority in cyber
security?
It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing.
It strengthens security-related defense of the Indian Internet domain. Indian Computer
Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)

The role of the Nodal agency is as below:

• Notify all the guidelines, formats, advisories, Best Practices required for
implementation of the project from time to time.
• Appraise the DPRs before putting up to the Monitoring Committee.
• Coordinate with the main stakeholders such as MoP, Monitoring Committee,
Central Electricity Authority, Utilities and consultants, if any
• Develop a dedicated web portal for submission of DPRs and for maintaining
the MIS of the projects
• Monitor physical and financial progress of the projects including quality of
works.
• Nodal agency shall operate a separate Bank account (IPDS Account) for
release of funds by Ministry of Power and for onward release to the
beneficiary Utilities /State Governments.
• Administer the Grant Component.
• Nodal agency shall deploy Third Party services of outside
agencies/manpower for concurrent evaluation of project implementation.
The Need for an International
Convention on Cyberspace
Over the past three decades, a convergence of information and
communication technologies (ICTs), together with various governance
policies, have created what we now call “cyberspace.” Today cyberspace
is a living reality, influencing all aspects of human behavior. The need to
create a universal and transparent global framework to ensure the
effective security and utilization of cyberspace “for the economic and
social advancement of all peoples” has become paramount. How can this
be achieved?
Governments addressed this issue more than two decades ago, when the
UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted its first resolution on ICTs in
December 1998. Other stakeholders including businesses, academia, and
civil society have become more articulate in seeking a supportive
international framework for their activities in cyberspace. As the United
Nations marks its Seventy-fifth anniversary this year, and
notwithstanding the truly unpredictable effects of the COVID-19
pandemic, I believe the time has come to launch a broad-based multi-
stakeholder process that can culminate in the adoption of an
international convention on cyberspace.
Cyberspace and its Stakeholders
Emerging concepts related to the application of cyber technologies are
propelling the world into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Internet
of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics are expected to
dominate cyberspace and redefine the role of human beings in this
domain within just a few short years. While these phenomena are
currently being tested and applied within a few countries, their impact
will be felt globally due to the complex interlinkages of cyberspace.
These interlink ages revolve around cyber technologies and
infrastructure.
The Global Conferences on Cyberspace
At the global level, issues in cyberspace that require effective
international cooperation have been raised by the five multi-stakeholder
Global Conferences on Cyber Space held so far, beginning with the
London Conference in 2011.
The London Conference identified five broad themes for international
cooperation in cyberspace. These were economic growth and
development, social benefits, international security, tackling cybercrime
and ensuring safe and reliable access to cyberspace.
Subsequently, similar global conferences have taken place Budapest in
2012, which highlighted the importance of capacity building in
cyberspace, the linkage between internet security and internet rights, as
well as the role of civil society in cyberspace policies; Seoul in 2013,
which highlighted the need for universal access to cyberspace to
accelerate development; and The Hague in 2015, which established a
Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) to promote capacity-building.
The Fifth Global Conference on Cyber Space was hosted by India in
2017, with a focus on “a secure and inclusive cyberspace for sustainable
development.” The intent of the conference was to promote the
importance of inclusiveness and human rights in global cyber policy, to
defend the status quo of an open, interoperable and unregimented
cyberspace, to create political commitment for capacity building
initiatives to address the digital divide and assist countries, and to
develop security solutions in a balanced fashion that duly acknowledge
the importance of the private sector and technical community.

Securing Cyberspace
Within the United Nations, governments have taken the initiative to
address the potential and also the dangers of cyberspace. In 1998, they
adopted a resolution in the UNGA that noted the use of ICTs for both
civilian and military purposes and prioritized “civilian applications.”
The resolution mandated the definition of “basic notions related to
information security,” while “developing international principles” to
enhance cyber-security.
The three broad areas that governments have taken up since 1998 to
develop international cooperation in cyberspace relate to norms for
cyber-security, measures to counter cybercrime, and agreeing on cyber
policies for accelerating effective governance.

Countering Cybercrime
The first major legal impetus for seeking inter-governmental cooperation
in countering cybercrime came in November 2001 from the Council of
Europe, which is comprised of 47 states and includes Russia but not the
United States, China, and other non-European countries. The Council of
Europe adopted the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, emphasizing
that an “effective fight against cybercrime requires increased, rapid, and
well-functioning international cooperation in criminal matters.”

Cyberspace and Sustainable Development

A holistic approach has characterized, so far, the UNGA’s discussions
on harnessing the impact of cyber technologies and platforms for
sustainable development. The evolution of a supportive cyber
environment for sustainable development, emphasizing a “people-
centric” approach, has been cyclical.

Businesses and Cyberspace

While governments have identified the key components for building a
resilient international framework for cyberspace, major businesses have
also realized the importance of such an international framework for their
activities in cyberspace. Two such initiatives stand out.
Microsoft took the lead in February 2017 in proposing a framework for
international cooperation in cyberspace through a “Digital Geneva
Convention” to be adopted by governments. This idea was suggested by
Microsoft to bring governments together to protect cyberspace, which it
asserted “is owned and operated by the private sector.” The objective of
a “Digital Geneva Convention” would be for “the world’s governments
to pledge that they will not engage in cyber attacks on the private sector,
that they will not target civilian infrastructure, whether it’s of the
electrical or the economic or the political variety.” Microsoft has given
the responsibility of creating such an international framework to
governments.
High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation
As cyber technology transitions from the ICTs of the early twenty-first
century to the digital world, the UN Secretary-General’s initiative to
convene a multi-stakeholder High-level Panel for identifying areas for
Digital Cooperation provides a launching pad for the UNGA to create an
appropriate international framework for cyberspace. The report of the
Panel was presented to the UN Secretary-General in June 2019. It will
form the basis for the process to coordinate multi-stakeholder
discussions on cyberspace at the commemoration of the Seventy-fifth
anniversary of the United Nations in September 2020.
Led by Melinda Gates of the Gates Foundation and Jack Ma of Alibaba,
the Panel held nine months of consultations with governments, the
private sector, civil society, international organizations, academia, and
technical communities across the world. It made five specific
recommendations for shaping a common future: building an inclusive
digital economy and society; developing human and institutional
capacity; protecting human rights and human agency; promoting digital
trust, security, and stability; and fostering global digital cooperation.
The key conclusion of the Gates-Ma UN panel was to complement
“multilateralism with multi-stakeholderism” in order to provide a strong
foundation for international cooperation in cyberspace.

Towards an International Convention on Cyberspace

In November 1967, the UNGA had responded to a call for “an effective
international regime over the seabed and the ocean floor beyond a
clearly defined national jurisdiction.” The outcome of that response was
the discussion of “the freedom-of-the-seas doctrine with technological
changes that had altered man’s relationship with the ocean.” This led to
the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1973, with the
objective to negotiate a comprehensive treaty for the maritime domain.
The outcome was achieved nine years later (in 1982) with the adoption
of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
At its Seventy-fifth anniversary summit in September 2020, the UNGA
will be faced with a similar choice. Taking into account the progress
made in crystallizing international cooperation to secure cyberspace,
counter cybercrime, maximize the use of cyber technologies for
accelerating the objectives of sustainable development, and put people at
the center of cyberspace, the UNGA must respond by convening a
Conference on Cyberspace to negotiate and adopt an international multi-
stakeholder framework for this unique domain.
Phase 3 – Communicate and Enforce the Security Policy

Focus specifically on why your security policy applies to all employees and how they should be
integrated into their daily tasks. Employees will pay better attention if the material is customized
to their day-to-day routines.

Phase 4 – Review and Update Your Security Policy

A Security Policy is a living document that require reviews and updates to maintain relevance. If
your IT security policies aren’t working, they must be evaluated and changed to make them
work. At minimum, a review should be done on an annual basis to make sure your security
policy is still working for you.

Protecting Your Data and Network Starts Now!

Your IT security policy should be part of your organization’s overall governance program, which
adds legitimacy to security technology and processes, provides clear accountability, and
ownership and transparency for audit purposes. So, how do you get started?

ProServeIT’s experienced security experts have helped many organizations like yours implement
a comprehensive security policy. Take a look at some of our offers below: