The Department of Communications (DOC) has called for security institutions to partner with government in order to develop cyber security strategies as well as for research and development.
Stella Tembisa Ndabeni, communications deputy minister, who took office in October last year, addressed delegates yesterday at the ITWeb Security Summit 2012, held at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Ndabeni noted that the second day of the Summit took place on the eve of World Telecommunications Day.
She said: “There is a need for co-operation between governments and businesses, as well as regional partnerships to develop cyber security strategies.
“As government, we have introduced the National Cyber Security Framework. The framework and its implications will be the responsibility of the security agencies.”
According to Ndabeni, the DOC is presently establishing a cyber security hub to process and disseminate information to stakeholders in the cyber security sector.
“We need to develop a national best practice and guidelines as part of a national partnership programme, as well as a trusted forum for information sharing and make a point to raise awareness around cyber security in our communities,” added Ndabeni.
She said it was a critical time for SA to strengthen its capabilities in information security research and development.
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Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to greet you in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ our Saviour, who has helped most of you in terms of identifying your career paths and has made it a point that you are, indeed, successful.
Challenges posed by issues of cyber crime, threats and vulnerabilities can only be addressed through a coherent strategy.
Stella Tembisa Ndabeni, deputy communications minister
Ladies and gentlemen, as I have already been introduced, I am Stella Tembisa Ndabeni, the deputy communications minister in this country. I took office in October; while it was on the Web site, I guess everybody saw that. But as the programme director already explained, I am going to [discuss a] few things that are most critical for yourselves and for our government.
But firstly, let me tell you that this conference is taking place on the eve of the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day, which has a theme that says “Women and Girls in ICT”.
We normally celebrate this, or [it] is celebrated on the 17th of May. This year, we will all be in Kimberley, in the Northern Cape. Therefore, please join us from tomorrow until the 20th, as we celebrate this day.
Colleagues, it is our responsibility as leaders to change the face of this sector. It cannot be correct that we are doing little towards the emancipation of women in this sector. We have the capacity and capability to create and afford women opportunities, not cosmetically, but through skills and academic development to enable them to participate and assume leadership and managerial positions in corporations.
Last week, we delivered our budget speech and we committed, as government and department, that we accelerate participation of women in this sector. This will happen through the pact that we have signed with the ICT industry, which among others, commits to create one million jobs by 2020.
These jobs must cut across the information communication technologies discipline, including information technology and cyber security.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is common knowledge that the advent of the Internet has brought about numerous benefits, such as social networking, e-commerce, e-governance, e-health and other numerous services that have made life a lot easier than it was decades ago.
Equally, there is a downside to this vital technology - vulnerability and threats. The modern world relies on the Internet and related technologies in advancing their socio-economic affairs.
The Internet has also attracted illicit activities, commonly referred to as cyber crimes, which, in some cases, cannot only be detrimental to individuals, but [are] also capable of causing massive disruptions of economies of nations.
Therefore, there is a need for nations and institutions to collaborate on developing initiatives and strategies to ensure safety in the cyber space.
There is a need, ladies and gentlemen, not only for co-operation between government and its citizenry, but also regional co-operation such as this event that you are having here - your seventh annual ITWeb Security Summit.
As I understand, this Summit is the event of choice for the information security community in southern Africa; an important symbol, therefore, of regional collaboration in the fight against cyber crime.
We acknowledge also the efforts of the international community, spearheaded by the ITU [International Telecommunications Union], which has launched several initiatives with its global cyber security agenda framework.
One such example is [...] the child online protection initiative with its global cyber security agenda framework in order to create a safer cyber world for the children. Under this initiative, the ITU recognised that challenges posed by issues of cyber crime, threats and vulnerabilities can only be addressed through a coherent strategy, taking into account the role of different stakeholders and existing initiatives within the framework of local and international collaboration.
The ITU also recognises the importance of collaborative efforts between the public sector, the private sector, government, and other interest groups to prevent vulnerability, threats and combat cyber crime crimes against children.
Programme director, I am pleased to report to this Summit that, as government, we have adopted the National Cyber Security Policy Framework, which, amongst others, provides for measures to build confidence and trust in the secure use of ICTs and review and update existing substantive and procedural laws to ensure alignment.
As you know, the department has initiated the framework and its application will be the responsibility of the security agencies within [the] Criminal Procedures Act.
We are now working on the establishment of a cyber security hub that will pull public and private sector threat information for the purposes of processing and disseminating such information to relevant stakeholders, including the cyber security centre.
Ladies and gentlemen, here are some of the solutions to the challenges that we are facing as this industry. We need to develop a national-based practice and guidelines. We need to develop a national partnership programme with all stakeholders. We need to establish trusted forums for information sharing. The development of [a] cyber security curriculum is critical. We also need to make it a point that we raise awareness on cyber security amongst our communities.
As government, we have adopted the National Cyber Security Policy Framework, which, amongst others, provides for measures to build confidence and trust in the secure use of ICTs and review and update existing substantive and procedural laws to ensure alignment.
Stella Tembisa Ndabeni, deputy communications minister
With regards to the ICT sector industry, how do we then stimulate [the] ICT industry to increase research and development; develop South African ICT security products and other measures that we can come up with?
In addition, in September 2011, the South African Accreditation Authority granted accreditation of electronic signature products and services to Law Trust Third Party Limited, a private information security company in Pretoria. Law Trust is the first company in South Africa to be granted accreditation in accordance with the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 and its regulations.
Accreditation of authentication products and services allows the electronic signatures of such products and services to qualify as advanced electronic signatures. Advanced electronic signatures ensure information and transactions online are confidential, authentic, credible, secure, reliable and unalterable.
The use of advanced electronic signatures promote confidence and trust in the secure use of ICTs - the ultimate goal of government for all electronic information systems in [the] public domain.
We are working towards strengthening our capabilities in the research and development of ICT to ensure that we do not rely on foreign interventions but our local ones that talk directly to me and yourselves.
We are, therefore, calling upon yourselves to ensure that you deploy all the relevant skills that are at your disposal to make sure that we overcome the challenges that we face as the industry with regards to cyber security.
Our government is committed to ensuring that everyone in South Africa feels, and is, safe.
I thank you, programme director.
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