Cybersecurity is an issue becoming increasingly important the more we
rely on ICT networks and applications in our professional and private
lives. And the threat from cyber crime is global.
Global threats must be met with global actions. Cyber attacks, with
criminal and economical motives, have a global platform through the
Internet. The ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda can provide us with a
platform for response and I welcome this initiative.
The term Resilience is one of the “buzz-words” in this business
today. Let me give my views on what is needed to achieve better
resilience. I will illustrate this with examples of the work carried out
in Sweden.
- Firstly, we need a stable, robust infrastructure, well protected
against for example sabotage. Protecting important communication
lines and nodes in the networks must be given priority. In Sweden we
have placed the most important exchanges in underground bunkers.
Creating redundancy and thus reducing vulnerability in the networks
on a broader scale are of vital importance.
- Secondly, we need cooperation between stakeholders regarding
logical attacks – cyber attacks. Many countries have computer
emergency response teams (CERT), governmental or private.
Cooperation between CERTS should be evolved further. In Sweden we
have a government CERT with a staff of 15 people, prepared to go
into 24/7 operation. Our CERT is involved in an extensive
international cooperation with CERTs throughout the world.
- Finally, we need to train our abilities. On a national level,
Sweden has had two big exercises focused on IT and
telecommunications. The next one is planned for spring 2009. We need
to find ways to exercise more on an international level, as I
believe that practical exercise is the best way to pin-point
vulnerabilities and show us where cooperation and communication
fails in emergency situations .
Sweden will have the EU presidency during the second half of 2009.
The last time we were in that position we raised these questions to the
EU level for the first time. One result of this is that the European
Commission created the ENISA agency for coordinating, giving
recommendations, promoting cooperation and raise awareness in the field
of Internet security. I believe and hope that our upcoming EU presidency
again will reflect our will to promote these issues.
I am happy to see this high level meeting putting cybersecurity as
one of the top priorities for ITU and believe that this initiative
indeed will strengthen our resilience against the threats from cyber
crime. We must be determined not to let cyber crime affect the
realisation of the potentials arising from the information society.
Thank you!
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