Cybersecurity experts shared their experiences in combat cyber threat.
Estonia was the first victim of cyberattack in the world, and since then so many measures has been taken. Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who was the President of Estonia from 2006 to 2016, worked as a diplomat and journalist and was awarded with the World Leader in Cybersecurity Award by Boston Global Forum and Michael Dukakis Institute in 2017. In the interview with GovInsider, he shared his personal experience in dealing with cyberwarfare with other Estonian experts. As the first victim of fake news and information black out, he listed three main key points:
Awareness of cybersecurity
Cybersecurity usually requires complex knowledge on the mechanism of the system. But a complicated process would be simple if people knew it mechanism. Data stored in an outdated system can easily be hacked taking the case of Singapore. Ilves addressed methods of authentication, such as passwords, are no longer safe, “if we want minimal security, you need to go over to two-factor authentication.”
Collaboration
The second key point is collaboration. Nations need deeper discussion figures it out solutions to this global problem, Ilves suggested, “we need far more collaboration and cooperation in this field than we have seen up till now.”
To have a plan
Kevin Mandia, chief executive officer of FireEye, shared four main methods to tackle cyber threats.
The first one is deterrence. A system is to identify the time and place of an attack as well as the attacker. “If you know who compromised you, that’s the only way to enact policy; it’s the only way to hold nations accountable,” said Mandia.
Secondly, collating all information spread across the nation to acquire a shield during times of geopolitical tensions for certain industries and system not be able to defend a cyberattack.
Thirdly, establishing rules of engagement on the internet is a crucial step. “We have to start holding people accountable, and we have to make it so that nations that abide by the rules of engagement are all going to live with and have a good internet experience,” he added.
Finally, governments should prioritize protecting its systems first, critical infrastructure next, and then the nation.