“Cybersecurity knows no borders”

17/04/2013

Marco Obiso, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Cybersecurity Coordinator, noted that the Internet was not designed to take into account security-related challenges, which is why enhancing international cooperation to face major challenges in this area is key.

Obiso believes that the lack of national and international legislation conspires against effectively dealing with the most common computer security problems worldwide.

In his interview with Lacnic News, Obiso remarked that, in order to continue to support the development of a stable Internet, an adequate balance must be achieved between security and privacy.

In your opinion, what are the most common security issues at global and regional level?

We need to overcome several problems. We don’t have appropriate national and regional legal frameworks and applications to face major security challenges. We also lack secure software and appropriate national and global organizational structures.

Human resources are another weakness, as we need more computer security professionals and skills at government level. In addition, users’ lack of basic knowledge has also become another problem.

Finally, because this is a global challenge, it is important to enhance international cooperation among industry experts, law enforcement agencies, regulators, academia, and international organizations.

Is it possible to quantify the losses caused by computer security incidents in Latin America?

At the moment no standardized data are available. Several security companies conduct their own analyses based on their products and sensors.

How important is collaboration between public and private, national and international stakeholders to mitigate computer security incidents in Latin America and the Caribbean?

This element is key. Cooperation must permeate every cybersecurity related activity, as it is by nature a multidimensional issue that knows no borders.

The Internet’s impact on people’s lives will continue to grow. What are the challenges for improving Internet security, while at the same time improving the exercise of individual rights online?

We have to strike the right balance between security and privacy. The Internet was not designed to take into account security-related challenges so, instead of coming up with a patch every time there is a problem, we should work more proactively in this area. In this sense, global cooperation is key.