Cybersecurity: a Strategic View

15 January 2015

WMO, 7bis, Avenue de la Paix, Geneva

The Geneva Internet Platform, in co-operation with Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, DCAF, DiploFoundation, ICT4Peace, and other partners, is organising a series of events throughout 2015, entitled Geneva Cybersecurity Days, with the aim to discuss various challenges at national, regional and global levels related to cybersecurity. The first event – Cybersecurity: a Strategic View – is taking place on 15 January.

[New] Welcome 2015 – a year of cyber(in)security

[Updates]

Event recording:

Event report | Photo gallery
Presentation: The Finnish Approach – Ari Knuuti (Director, Codenomicon)
Presentation: The importance of public-private partnership – Timo Kotilainen (Chairman, Finnish Information Security Cluster)
Presentation: Finnish Cyber Security Strategy – Arto Räty (Chairman, Security Committee of Finland)
Press release: Cybersecurity at the top of agendas for 2015

The Geneva Internet Platform, in co-operation with the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, DCAF, the GCSP, DiploFoundation, ICT4Peace, and other partners, is organising a series of events throughout 2015, entitled Geneva Cybersecurity Days. The series will bring together representatives of states; international organisations; experts; the corporate, academic, and technical sectors; and civil society, to discuss various challenges at national, regional, and global levels related to cybersecurity. The Geneva Cybersecurity Days should increase awareness and further develop a global response to cybersecurity challenges along the lines of the Geneva Message on Strengthening Internet Governance.

DiploFoundation, WMO building (2nd floor), 7 bis Avenue de la Paix, Geneva.

Programme

9.00‒9.15 Opening remarks

Ambassador P. Kairamo, Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN
Dr Jovan Kurbalija, Director, DiploFoundation and Head, Geneva Internet Platform

9.15‒10.15 Cybersecurity challenges

Ambassador Theodor Winkler, Director, DCAF

Tomas Lamanauskas, ITU
Michele Coduri, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs: Balancing security and human rights
Vladimir Radunović, Director Cybersecurity Programme, DiploFoundation and the GIP

10.15‒10.30 Coffee break

10.30‒12.00 Finnish approach to cybersecurity

Keynote:

Arto Räty, Chairman of the Security Committee of Finland: A comprehensive approach to cybersecurity ‒ a Finnish model

Discussion:

Ambassador Marja Rislakki, Cyber ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland: Introducing the role of a cyberambassador – the Finnish experience
Timo Kotilainen, Chairman of the Finnish Information Security Cluster: The importance of public-private partnership
Ari Knuuti, Director, Codeminocon: Private sector involvement in cybersecurity

12.00 – 12.30 Lunch refreshments

Registration

The event capacity has been filled, registration is no longer possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Context

Cyberspace has become an essential component of modern society. Critical societal infrastructure, the financial sector, governmental services, the security sector, schools, and hospitals are increasingly and irreversibly dependent on interconnectivity and the global network, as are our citizens. The merits of the open Internet are accompanied by risks. With the increasing digitalisation of society, including emerging e-government services and databases, interconnecting critical infrastructure and industry, and enhanced online banking and financial services, the stakes are growing sky-high.

Such risks need to be approached comprehensively and systematically through the cooperation of all the stakeholders. Most countries don’t have institutional mechanisms ‒ operational or legislative ‒ for cybersecurity (such as risk assessment, information sharing, prevention, and quick incident response, capacity building). Geneva, being a hub for political discussions about Internet and digital policies, is a good place to discuss a comprehensive approach to better global cybersecurity.

Background documents: