In recent years, cybersecurity has become an increasing concern across the globe, but how are officials looking to secure our cyberspace?
In September 2017, the European Commission adopted a new cybersecurity package to equip Europe with the right tools to cope with cyber-attacks. The proposed EU Cybersecurity Agency was to assist Member States in dealing with these cyber-attacks, as well as a new European certification scheme that will ensure that digital products are safe to use.
The EU’s Cybersecurity Act established an EU-wide cybersecurity certificate framework for digital products and services. ENISA, the EU Agency for cybersecurity, will play a key role in overseeing the European cybersecurity certification framework by preparing the technical ground for specific certification schemes.
Securing our cyberspace with UNESCO
In an interview with Innovation News Network, Peggy Oti-Boateng Director of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building in the Natural Sciences Sector at UNESCO Headquarters, discussed the issue of cybersecurity and how UNESCO are looking to combat an unsafe cyberspace..
What measures are an UNESCO following to promote a secure cyberspace?
“Under the theme ‘safe and ethical cyberspace’, ‘digital asset’ and risk outward, UNESCO’s Information for All Programme helped organise a world conference on intellectual capital for communities. UNESCO is also partnering with Microsoft on a number of initiatives. We would have had a chance to showcase them yesterday, but we have to cancel a big event on engineering for sustainable development [due to the Coronavirus pandemic].”
How is new technology is contributing to cybersecurity?
“Facial intelligence can help promote the privacy of our online data. But this requires engineers to help develop these technologies and ensure that they are truthful, unbiased and based on data sets that reflect a diverse global society.”
As concerns surrounding cyber security increase, do you think that action against climate change will decrease?
“UNESCO is working to enhance cyber security but working in cyber security does not diminish efforts to combat climate change, if anything nations that have a secure and robust internet, that is safe from hacking and misinformation can focus on taking political action to secure a sustainable future and pass laws that will help reduce carbon pollution.”
