[UNOCT] United Nations takes on Cyberterrorism
Written by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
The UN Office for Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) which consisting many head of intellegence agencies and head of counter terrorism units meets to discuss on cyberterrorism and bioterrorism. For the first day, the UNOCT have initially raised concerns on cyberterrorism and plan to move to bioterrorism the next day.
Cyberterrorism and cyberattacks have appeared following the prevalence of the internet and increased significantly in recent days especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of such cyberattacks have been directed at the government. Various countries have suggested solutions in order to limit cyberterrorism across the world.
Various counter terrorist leaders have suggested many different solutions to crackdown on cyberterrorism worldwide.
Some have suggested education for the population about the dangers of the dark web and specifically targeted at teenagers who are especially susceptible to the “coolness” of the dark web. A scholarship for university students who have excelled in their software development and hackathons have also been supported in an attempt to train new individuals to help governments and companies alike to help and advice on cyber security.
Nakagawa Seimei, the Director-General of Japan’s Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA) has also suggested building up infrastructure for cyberdefense for less economically developed countries. Many countries have seen this as necessary as the internet has users all across the world including those who are less economically developed.
The cost for such has been raised almost immediately. Commissioner General Boy Rafli Amar from Indonesia pointed out that his country does have the necessary infrastructure for cybersecurity but they are often left unmaintained resulting in more frequent successful cyberattacks. Director Nadav Argaman have also raised concerns about funding cyber infrastructure in less developed countries claiming that “They would simply
However, some countries, including France who are willing to fund the construction of such infrastructure, are supportive of such decisions. Afterall, the internet is interconnected and if one patch of the net is not protected, it will lead to some other parts of the net unprotected as well.
Less economically developed countries in the UNOCT have also urged such countries to fund infrastructure in less developed countries including the Maldives who’s representative, Brigadier General Zakariyya Mansoor, has requested funding to build up his country’s cyber infrastructure.
Other than these potential solutions to counter cyberterrorism, some countries have decided to take a more authoritarian approach to solving the problem. Some suggested a survey of the Dark Web. A private internet network where some internet users describe it as the deepest of the internet iceberg.
The issue of surveying the dark web divided the council with some countries supporting such surveys while others believed not to do so.
Zhao Kezhi the Chinese Minister of Public Security believed that surveying the dark web and controlling what people see on the internet is important to prevent cyberterrorism from happening. He cited that the infamous Great Firewall of China has managed to prevent the radicalisation of Chinese.
Western countries including the UK and USA opposed such measures believing that their citizens would have their privacy violated and the freedom of the press removed. Japan meanwhile cited that many bloggers in their country have also used the dark web to post and express themselves and that not everything within the dark web is necessarily bad.
With already two issues dividing the UNOCT, the various members still need a solution in the end to find a solution to end or at least limit cyberterrorism across the world.
The UN Office for Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) which consisting many head of intellegence agencies and head of counter terrorism units meets to discuss on cyberterrorism and bioterrorism. For the first day, the UNOCT have initially raised concerns on cyberterrorism and plan to move to bioterrorism the next day.
Cyberterrorism and cyberattacks have appeared following the prevalence of the internet and increased significantly in recent days especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of such cyberattacks have been directed at the government. Various countries have suggested solutions in order to limit cyberterrorism across the world.
Various counter terrorist leaders have suggested many different solutions to crackdown on cyberterrorism worldwide.
Some have suggested education for the population about the dangers of the dark web and specifically targeted at teenagers who are especially susceptible to the “coolness” of the dark web. A scholarship for university students who have excelled in their software development and hackathons have also been supported in an attempt to train new individuals to help governments and companies alike to help and advice on cyber security.
Nakagawa Seimei, the Director-General of Japan’s Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA) has also suggested building up infrastructure for cyberdefense for less economically developed countries. Many countries have seen this as necessary as the internet has users all across the world including those who are less economically developed.
The cost for such has been raised almost immediately. Commissioner General Boy Rafli Amar from Indonesia pointed out that his country does have the necessary infrastructure for cybersecurity but they are often left unmaintained resulting in more frequent successful cyberattacks. Director Nadav Argaman have also raised concerns about funding cyber infrastructure in less developed countries claiming that “They would simply
However, some countries, including France who are willing to fund the construction of such infrastructure, are supportive of such decisions. Afterall, the internet is interconnected and if one patch of the net is not protected, it will lead to some other parts of the net unprotected as well.
Less economically developed countries in the UNOCT have also urged such countries to fund infrastructure in less developed countries including the Maldives who’s representative, Brigadier General Zakariyya Mansoor, has requested funding to build up his country’s cyber infrastructure.
Other than these potential solutions to counter cyberterrorism, some countries have decided to take a more authoritarian approach to solving the problem. Some suggested a survey of the Dark Web. A private internet network where some internet users describe it as the deepest of the internet iceberg.
The issue of surveying the dark web divided the council with some countries supporting such surveys while others believed not to do so.
Zhao Kezhi the Chinese Minister of Public Security believed that surveying the dark web and controlling what people see on the internet is important to prevent cyberterrorism from happening. He cited that the infamous Great Firewall of China has managed to prevent the radicalisation of Chinese.
Western countries including the UK and USA opposed such measures believing that their citizens would have their privacy violated and the freedom of the press removed. Japan meanwhile cited that many bloggers in their country have also used the dark web to post and express themselves and that not everything within the dark web is necessarily bad.
With already two issues dividing the UNOCT, the various members still need a solution in the end to find a solution to end or at least limit cyberterrorism across the world.
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