Page 4 - SAMENA Trends - August 2020

EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS

Digital Identity, Cybersecurity, and Child Online Protection

We now exists in the world of virtual measures are not taken as soon as possible.
interactions, digital vulnerabilities, and This is, in part, why lack of funding and
outdated network architectures, policies, financing new infrastructure investments
mindsets, and industry approaches, all of – a notable part of which has to focus on
which require reassessment. security of both data and networks—are being
discussed nowadays. Numerous accounts
Many commonly known factors have caused of interruption of business, reputational
unprecedented complexities and insecurities damage, and loss of intellectual property,
to rise for the private sector and the public and other enterprise and national-level
sector, lately. The key factor among those is issues encountered due to either lack of
the influx and exchange of data. This data or insufficient availability of cybersecurity
influx trend has been more obvious during measures, have catalyzed unified industry-
the current year than it ever was, earlier. In wide approaches and capabilities to address
the evolving data landscape, the complexity security concerns in the digital realm. Bocar A. BA
of the current digital ecosystem, access Chief Executive Officer & Board
to the network, and numerous uses of the Because cyber threats cause great losses Member
communication infrastructure, inherently to private-sector players, and can do so for SAMENA Telecommunications
make networks and digital security a daunting the governments as well on multiple national Council
challenge. This challenge of security in and international fronts, it is this realization
the cyber world has a direct bearing on the that that has made cybersecurity a priority protection against denial-of-
private sector and the regulators' ability to and and opportunity for all stakeholders. To service attacks, which in the current
create and foster trust-building in the digital help pace things forward in a speedy manner, situation around the world, must
space, mitigate customer churn, fulfill policy governments should further incentivize remain a top contingency step,
and regulatory demands, protect end-users cybersecurity measures by the private sector, anyway; and, third, implement better
and in particular children and young people, and through such state-level incentivization routing of data traffic and conduct
conduct business and investment planning in of cybersecurity implementation, many IP traffic cleansing.
a sustainable manner, and keep shareholders co-related issues can also be addressed,
happy and ever-ready to approve further such as children's online protection (COP), While immediate action is needed
infrastructure investments. Ultimately, all and proliferation of connectivity and digital to beneficially exploit the power
of this has a direct impact on our collective services in the financial, education, and of existing digital technologies
ability to fulfill the breadth and the depth of medical sectors. in order to put recovery back on
the Sustainable Development Agenda; an track, governments and regulatory
objective that concerns both companies and SAMENA Council has made cybersecurity a authorities in the region, with the
governments alike. key area of intervention and is determined to support and proactive engagement
highlight and address all relevant aspects of of the private sector and the digital
The private sector, especially Operators this complex subject within the SA-ME-NA space players, should also act upon
understand their position and evolving role region, and to collaborate with concerned the need to create synergies across
amidst latest digital transformation trends, stakeholders in order to bring to light the most various industries, to understand
and how they are required to transform cutting-edge, implementable cybersecurity and highlight the cybersecurity and
themselves and adapt to the changing solutions in the world. The industry needs COP imperatives. SAMENA Council
competition and Internet-driven landscape. to start taking action on all cybersecurity believes that public-private-
They also understand where and how, fronts in parallel, and three good places to people cooperation is essential for
despite trillions of dollars of investment, their start would be, one, to implement data risk addressing such digital security
continue to remain significant connectivity management solutions that provide much concerns, which have been
gaps and divides, which can further increase needed visibility of the large third-party highlighted strongly following the
if fundamental network and data security blindspots; two, to implement stronger Covid-19 crisis.

4 AUGUST 2020