|
|
|
|
Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
The
General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS),
through its Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, and the
information technology security company Trend Micro today presented the
report
“Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure in the Americas,” which
gathers the views of governments and security professionals from key
industries, such as communications, finance, manufacturing, energy and
security, on cyber vulnerability in the region.
The Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Committee against
Terrorism (CICTE) of the OAS, Neil Klopfenstein, called upon the
political leaders of the region to remain vigilant to vulnerabilities
that new technologies bring. “Governments of the Americas
and worldwide must recognize the serious vulnerabilities inherent to
critical infrastructure and the possibility of serious consequences if
that infrastructure is not properly secured,” said Klopfenstein.
The Secretary of CICTE urged that the issue of cyber security should be
present in all aspects related to countries’ critical infrastructure.
“From electrical networks and water treatment plants to oil exploration,
supplies of fossil fuels and transportation,
all these systems are vital to virtually all parts of society,” said
Klopfenstein. “This report reinforces the need for continued
strengthening of the protection of critical infrastructure in our member
states, while highlighting the need to collaborate and
share information in order to collectively address these issues and to
promote a safe and resilient cyberspace for governments, business, and
citizens in the region,” he said.
The report’s findings show the reality regarding efforts to negatively
impact the critical infrastructure of the region. 44 percent of
respondents reported being aware of different types of destructive
attacks, while 40 percent said they had experienced attempts
to shutdown cybernetic systems. The report also presents specific cases
related to cyber security in each country and analysis of cyber attacks
and their methodologies, while detailing the current cyber security
measures and policies in place.
For his part, the chief cyber security officer in Trend Micro, Tom
Kellermann, stressed the importance of the report that alerts
authorities about new security challenges. “This research should serve
as a wakeup call to warn that critical infrastructures have
become a prime target for cybercriminals. These groups have increased
their attacks by harnessing the destructive campaigns against
infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere,” he said. Kellerman expressed
his hope that the results of the report will serve as
a catalyst to motivate and encourage the changes needed in the area of
cyber security. "It's a very positive and constructive signal to see
leaders of government and industry assess the seriousness of this threat
and to express a strong will to tackle the
challenge through increased investment and public-private
partnerships," he added.
Among other findings, the report highlights that there is still a lack
of proactive cooperation between governments and private organizations
in the Americas in this area, even though all member states agreed in a
recent CICTE Declaration entitled "Protection
of Critical Infrastructure from Emerging Threats” that public-private
partnership is one of the key elements for improving critical
infrastructure and cyber security, and have made some efforts in this
direction.
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at
www.oas.org.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
