The private sector brings innovation, agility, and specialized knowledge while the public sector which drives digital transformation possesses the regulatory authority and a broader understanding of national security concerns.
The Ministry of Information, Communication and The Digital Economy has released a statement calling for collaboration between the public and private sector in addressing cyber threats.
In a statement, the ministry has announced a Multi-stakeholder Cybersecurity Roundtable aimed at addressing various cyber security challenges. “The ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy has put together a Multi-Stakeholder Cybersecurity Round-table, with membership from the government and private sector, to discuss cyber threats management in this evolving landscape,” the statement reads.
This comes after a wave of disruptive cyber attacks in the country resulting in some key services going offline, and massive data breaches have hit the country.
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As the frequency and severity of these attacks continue to rise, there is need for the government to implement robust cyber security practices to ensure our critical infrastructure and networks are protected. “The ever-evolving cyber threats landscape demands constant vigilance and adaptability,” the joint statement says.
Need for collaboration
The collaboration between the two sectors aims to foster:
- Information sharing: This will include sharing of proactive information on emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities, cyber threat intelligence as well cybersecurity best practices.
- Skills and resources: The private sector will assist the government by providing cybersecurity training and expertise to government agencies. In addition, this collaboration will include the provision of critical expertise to aid in cyber incident response and recovery.
- Policy, Framework, and Regulation: The private and public sector will collaborate on cyber security policy and regulation development.
- Public Awareness and Education: This collaboration will seek to promote cyber awareness and cyber education initiatives that empower individuals and organizations to adopt cyber security best practices.
- Global Community: The partnership will enhance collaboration with multinational organizations and other governments. This will enhance sharing of cyber threat information, track cross-border cyber-criminals and participate in the establishment of global norms for responsible and ethical behavior in cyberspace.
- Public Private Cyber Exercises: This collaboration will allow joint cyber drill exercises and cyber simulations to test the incident response capabilities of both private and public organizations.
