Safeguarding Cyber Space: National Workshop on Cyber Security in Armenia

1. Addressing Terrorist Use of the Internet, Cyber Crime and Other Threats: National Expert Workshop Forging a Comprehensive Approach to Cyber Security Richard Giragosian Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) Yerevan, Armenia 8-9 December 2010

2. Outline • Framing the issue: cyber security • Significance of cyber security • Fundamentals of cyber security • Cyber crime • Implications for Armenia • Social/political • Economic • Military/security • Critical infrastructure • Cyber challenges & cyber security goals • Conclusions

3. Framing the Issue: A Comprehensive Approach to Cyber Security • Cyber security requires shared solutions to shared threats • Cyber security is a dynamic, not static process • Cyber threats know no borders

4. Significance of Cyber Security Cyber Security provides three elements: • Engagement: foundation for economic, social and political development • Empowerment: platform for activism and social networking for “netizens” • Entrepreneurship: incentive for technological innovation and R&D Cyber Security is also necessary for the development of a knowledge-based economy

5. Fundamentals of Cyber Security • Cyber threat preparation: raising awareness and public education of prudent and safe use of Internet • Cyber threat perception: understanding the nature of cyber threats • Cyber Threat prevention: defending against cyber threats before, not after cyber attacks

6. Cyber Crime • Cyber Crime is the use or targeting of a computer network (and the Internet) for criminal enterprise or offense • Cyber Crime is not new, and is constantly changing as criminals use advances in technology to commit new, more sophisticated crimes • Information is the only commodity that can be stolen without being taken

7. Cyber Crime Today • Serious cyber criminals: more organized, more global, more sophisticated • Serious methods: Cyber Criminals can strike ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME • Law enforcement needs more tools, training & resources, but there is also a need for greater public awareness and for education and training of specialists

8. Cyber Crime & Cyber Security • Cyber Crime is directly linked to cyber security; • Cyber security is directly linked to national security • The cyber threat is a dynamic and growing threat to security and spans many types of crimes (terrorist financing, money laundering, identity theft, etc.)

9. Cyber Crime as a Global Threat • Cyber crime is rooted in globalization & the expansion of the networked Internet • Cyber crime has no borders or boundaries, and can attack many countries at once • Cyber crime has no limits: it can target anyone, anywhere, anytime

10. The Center of Gravity: The Computer • a computer can be the target of crime, attacked to damage or steal information from a computer or computer network • a computer can be a technique to commit crime, used for fraud or theft • a computer can be a tool to fight crime, by analyzing evidence (a “forensic footprint”)

11. The New Cyber Threat • The Internet is a critical, global infrastructure for economic, political and military power • Cyber technology creates new dependencies & interdependencies • Cyber technologies redefined security: physical attacks have cyber consequences and cyber attacks have physical consequences

12. Implications for Armenia • Social/Political: credibility, efficacy & legitimacy of government efforts • Economic: consumer confidence & trust, investment climate • Military/Security: cyber war & cyberspace as the new battlefield; protecting critical infrastructure

13. Social/Political Implications • Credibility & efficacy: combating cyber crime also bolsters state anti-corruption efforts • Legitimacy & trust: failure to confront cyber crime leads to a loss of confidence and erosion of trust in government • Global responsibility: fighting cyber crime is an essential global obligation

14. Economic Implications for Armenia Without adequate cyber security, several economic trends emerge: • consumer confidence & trust erodes • business reputations and the national business environment declines • foreign investment is reduced • global economic integration is hindered • economic development is impeded

15. Military Implications for Armenia Cyber Space as a new battlefield • Adversaries are well aware of cyber warfare; new doctrine • Terrorists developing cyber capabilities • Military communications & critical infrastructure are vulnerable; and prone to an over-reliance on existing civilian networks

16. Telecommunications Banking & financial services Government services: E-Government Energy networks & safety systems Transportation- air safety & border security Defense & security: data networks and communications Critical Infrastructure

17. Cyber Challenges • To see cyber security being as important as physical security • Recognition of the real threat environment • Understand that the threat is as diversified as the targets • The threat will change as rapidly as technology

18. Cyber Security Goals • Need to raise public awareness of cyber security & safe, prudent use of Internet • Assess new cyber trends, threats & vulnerabilities • Incorporate lessons learned & international best practices • Develop counter measures & safeguards • Adopt and pursue comprehensive approach to cyber security

19. Conclusion • Cyber threats are real & growing • New technologies forge new vulnerabilities • New vulnerabilities foster new threats • As the nature of national security has changed, the response must also adapt • And the most important pipelines in this region transport neither oil nor gas…..they carry data, the most significant pipelines are fiber optic