Page 4 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2023

EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS

Cybersecurity Fronts in Digital Transformation

Information is central to human freedom of cyber economics; exploring behavioral
in the digitally connected future. As levers and motivations in cyberspace to
digitalization increases and digital economy better understand cybercrime; and seeing
expands, enterprises and individuals must how emerging digital technologies can
rely on information and technology assets. positively help realize a secure, sustainable
cyberspace.
Without stable and reliable internet
connectivity, access to relevant information Cybersecurity policy and regulation, and its
and technology assets, and a secure cyber various other fronts, should be concerned
environment, people are less likely to benefit with the welfare of society. In the interest
from information and contribute to digital of the society, Policymakers and Regulators
trust-building. need to view the Private Sector as the
enabling engine of ICT-driven nation-building
This complexity of the ecosystem and and sustainable development and not as a
business models in place, access to mere revenue contributor to the national
the network, and numerous uses of the treasury. Therefore, before taking any Bocar A. BA
Chief Executive Officer
communication infrastructure, inherently regulatory or interventional steps, sufficient & Board Member
makes network and data security a daunting efforts should be made to capture the impact SAMENA Telecommunications
challenge. of an intervention on the economic welfare Council
of all participants in the market, including
Our inter-dependence, inter-networking, digital ecosystem players, consumers, and
information exchange rests on the need the economy, as a whole.
and ability to sustainably use, exchange,
and protect information and infrastructure SAMENA Council believes that Operators
assets. Given that the Internet or the need to be enabled and incentivized to invest
cyberspace is central to the existence in infrastructure development, including
of digital economy and to new digital in cybersecurity infrastructure, to ensure
capabilities, experiences, digital business that everyone gets connected, remains
models, and possibilities, we have no choice connected, and that adequate infrastructure
but to protect cyber assets. is available for the increasingly bandwidth-
hungry and complex services and content,
This November 1st, an important especially in a highly inter-connected and
cybersecurity-centric event is being held in cyber-threat prone environment. Thus, we
Riyadh by the GCF Institute of Saudi Arabia, need to adopt a multi-prong collaboration
aiming delve into multiple areas across and incentivization strategy among
societal and business domains where Operators and Governments.
cyberspace has taken on a central place.
Ultimately, and such events are truly helpful Ideally, we want more cybersecurity and less
in this regard, we very much require taking cyber control. These two are not one and the
collective action for ensuring cyber stability; same.
understanding the critical and evolving role

4 JULY-AUGUST 2023