Evaluating Current Cybersecurity Threats

This interactive session focuses on discussing strategies for mitigating cyber harms in the context of human rights and human security. This discussion will explore how human rights concerns that arise from cyber incidents, or are otherwise technologically enabled, can be addressed. Emphasising the need to protect people’s rights and interests, these efforts offer support to governments and the wider risk management community in responding to the complex threats that originate from constantly evolving technology-driven interconnections. Through these exchanges, this session seeks to provide new impulses for the development of best practices and advance an inclusive understanding of priority areas for future action.

We often hear the word ‘cyber’ reported on threats related to the digital world: online child abuse and harassment, stolen credit cards, virtual identities, malware and viruses, denial-of-service attacks on corporate and government servers, cyberespionage, and cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure. settings. This webinar will answer important questions, including:

• What are the biggest risks for 2021 and beyond ?
• What are the pressing cybersecurity challenges at hand?
• What has changed during COVID-19?
• How does international co-operation in cybersecurity work, and what are the roles of the various stakeholders and nations?

Key points by Ioanna Georgia Eskiadi

Over the last year, especially after the beginning of the pandemic, the number of security threats present in our society has significantly increased. Cybersecurity concerns everyone since we are all exposed to digital threats daily, whether we know it or not. In order to ensure a product’s security, it is critical that everyone along the value chain, from development through production and delivery and beyond, is aware and educated about the risks and responsibilities associated with their product. The blurring line between digital and physical domains indicates that nations and organizations will only be secure if they incorporate cybersecurity features, principles, and frameworks. These tools are a necessity for all organizations, especially those with high-value assets. In today’s battles, governments must adapt to fight against attackers that are silent, distributed, varied, and technically savvy. As per the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2021, cyber risks continue ranking among the top global threats. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technological adoption, yet exposed cyber vulnerabilities and unpreparedness, while exacerbating the tech inequalities within, and between, societies.

It’s crucial to design and implement strategies for mitigating cyber harms in the context of human rights and human security. Human rights violations can arise from cyber incidents, or is otherwise technologically enabled incidents. Emphasizing the need to protect people’s rights and interests, these efforts offer support to governments and the wider risk management community in responding to the complex threats that originate from constantly evolving technology-driven interconnections. So, the development of the best practices and advance an inclusive understanding of priority areas for future action is desperately needed.

In Indonesia, the situation has worsened in the last few months. There are multiple side effects of the use of internet during the pandemic. It is hard to rely on an internet connection, especially in suburban areas. Attacks to online meetings have increased. Online meetings can lead to a wider array of cyber threats. Other security threats are online bullying and sexist comments, made both online and offline. Violence against women and abuse to women and young girls has risen as the world has become more digital. The problem is that people do not know how to report a security issue and there is under-regulation in terms of online bullying. In Southeast Asia, many countries do not have any specific regulation on cyber security issues. With regards to online bullying, people lack support from the authorities and societies do not have the capacity-building tools to counter these threats. What we need to do is open the minds of people to the negative aspects of digitalization and start from a national regulation for cyber security. International regulation, on the other hand, is still an important tool for guidance, but countries must then implement these tools. Around the world there are several regulations that should be transparently implemented in the technology environment. It is important to know how to protect your devices, keep them update, understand the nature of data, and to understand data bridges. It is important that regulations exist before a product or a service is implemented in the public sector.

The core element of digital human rights is the need to expand the conversation, look at the impact of technology from a data perspective, and then examine the digital harms which arise from digitalization. Programmers are the next generation of rights defenders; they need education on how to defend all these threats. A smartphone amplifies the need for constant communication and interaction. Smartphones are part of you. By knowing the technology, we can be proactive.

Watch the full discussion

Speakers
-Juliana Harsianti, Journalist, Independent Reseacher, Indonesia
-Jean F. Queralt, Founder and CEO of The IO Foundation, Malaysia
-Sophina Kio-Lawson, Co-founder of SheSecures

Moderators
- Raashi Saxena, Social Innovation Practitioner
-Dr. Nikos S. Panagiotou, Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Head of DCN Global

Speakers Bios
Juliana Harsianti
An independent journalist and researcher who has an interest in digital technology, on intersection with journalism and gender. Has an extensive experience in journalism, content writing and research. My latest enthusiast is to explore data journalism and digital security.

Jean F. Queralt
Founder and CEO of The IO Foundation, a nonprofit advocating for Data-Centric Digital Rights. Disturbed by the level of intrusion of technology in the lives of citizens, I took the leap in 2018 of starting TIOF to establish a more solid and targeted direction to address Digital Rights from a technical standards perspective.

Sophina Kio-Lawson
Sophina is a cybersecurity professional currently working within the financial services industry within in the Uk. She’s also one of the co-founders for SheSecures @she_secures — a growing initiative which inspires and empowers young African women to pursue careers in digital and cybersecurity whilst providing digital security literacy to individuals and organisations globally.
She has in previous years worked on providing digital and holistic security support to various marginalized communities and NGOs across Nigeria and Africa at large. She has collaborated on creating digital security guides that can help such organisations and communities to stay safe. One of such is the safe online project. (See safeonline.ng) She’s quite passionate and vocal when advocating for human and digital rights.

This event is co-organized by Digital Communication Network SouthEast Europe Hub (DCN SEE), Digital Communication Network Global and World Learning and is part of DCNSEE’s Ideas in Action — Digital Engagement, a series of virtual events launched in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Digital Communication Network is supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Citizen Exchanges.