ITU releases guide for cybersecurity strategy guide

A national cybersecurity strategy guide was released on Tuesday on the sidelines of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2018 in Durban, South Africa.

Released by the ITU, UN, private sector, academia, civil society, the guide is meant to assist countries in the development and implementation of national cybersecurity strategies, including cyber-preparedness and resilience, Xinhua reported.

"This valuable guide to cyber security strategies emphasizes ITU's long-standing commitment to supporting its member states to maximize use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social and economic development," said ITU Secretary-General Zhao Houlin.

"As we work together to bring more people online around the globe, it is imperative to implement effective cybersecurity strategies," said Zhao.

The guide is meant to help policy makers to develop strategies considering different countries' situation, culture and societal values to come up with secure, resilient, ICT-enhanced and connected societies.

The senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank, Sandie Okoro, emphasized the need to have resilience strategy to safeguard cybersecurity.

"Securing digital assets - data and infrastructure - is a critical development challenge. We are happy to have contributed to this project, and hope that this guide will contribute to greater participation in the global digital economy for all," Okoro said.

--IANS

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