Discussion on building a national ICT security system is gaining momentum. During the CyberGov conference, administration representatives and domestic cybersecurity leaders had the opportunity to learn about their expectations and needs. EXATEL took part in this event as an exhibitor, panellist and debate participant.
Above all, the conference enabled exhibiting EXATEL’s offer and vision regarding models for developing effective protection of the State’s ICT resources. We showed how to start enhancing the functioning of an organization through cooperation with a trustworthy partner. We spoke about implementing solutions and services that efficiently protect ICT infrastructure, as well as the data processed therein.
The discussion panel series addressed numerous interesting topics. These included the issue of merging civilian and military services, threats to offices and institutions, as well as intensifying cybermilitary activities.
Cybersecurity is still, however, losing to “paper security”.
Jakub Syta, Director at Exatel’s Security Services Management Office was one of the speakers. He raised the issue of the dissonance between the application of effective cybersecurity solutions and the limitation to “paper security” only, which is too common according to many speakers and participants. This term refers to approaching the issue of IT infrastructure safety solely through reports unverified in practice.
The main problem still seems to be the low awareness among top management of the real possibilities of activities aimed at effectively increasing the level of security. In the course of the talks, cybersecurity was compared to OHS. Yet the indication was that in the case of negligence in the latter field, a manager of an organizational unit must reckon with the real consequences of his/her actions or omissions.
Syta: “Politicians have long been wondering how to protect Poland’s cyberspace. Company management boards stress the significance of these issues, but they become satisfied with only reports in green, without going into their veracity. NIK (Supreme Audit Office) reports on how IT security is managed in Poland leave no doubt. The topic of cybersecurity must move from the concept stage, to actual implementation – supplemented by the settlement of (in)completed tasks.”
“Attack, such as, e.g., WannaCry, show that the scale of cyberthreats is huge. The low magnitude of WannaCry attacks in Poland did not mean that we are a “green island” that repelled it owing to fearlessness and cyber strength of arm. This rather meant that Poland, for some reason, was not the main target of the aggression. Let’s stop counting on luck and start acting.”
