Press Release
OAS Joins World Economic Forum Cyber Security Initiative
September 27, 2012
As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance cyber security
in the Western Hemisphere, the Organization of American
States (OAS) General Secretariat has formally joined the
World Economic Forum's (WEF) Partnering for Cyber
Resilience Initiative.
The OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, said
"joining the WEF's Partnering for Cyber Resilience is
another demonstration of our organization's commitment to
promoting cyber security, not just in the region, but
worldwide," and called on other governments and
organizations to join this important initiative.
Secretary Insulza added that, "recognizing the value that
new technologies have for development and security, the
OAS is making great efforts to contribute to their
promotion and to stimulate public-private interaction in
issues as delicate and relevant as cyber security."
In formally signaling its commitment to the principles
and guidelines underlying the Partnering for Cyber
Resilience Initiative, the OAS joins numerous other
regional and international leaders in cyber security,
including ICANN, Lockheed Martin, Visa, HSBC, Grupo
Prisa, numerous other banks and financial institutions,
and public entities including the governments of Colombia
and Japan.
"There is a rapidly growing realization at all levels of
business and government that cyber resilience is a
critical issue in the protection of individuals,
government and businesses" said Jean-Pierre Rosso,
Chairman of the World Economic Forum USA. "The
Organization of American States has been leading work
with national governments across the Americas to raise
this as a policy and business issue, facilitating the
spread of best practices. We wish to extend a very warm
welcome to the growing and diverse community committed to
securing a safe and resilient cyberspace - ensuring that
society can continue to enjoy the enormous social and
economic benefits that global connectivity yields."
Launched in January 2012, the Partnering for Cyber
Resilience Initiative calls on leaders in the public and
private sectors to commit to a common set of shared
principles for promoting increased cyber security with a
greater focus on interdependence and resilience.
Underpinning this commitment are four key principles:
1. Recognizing that all parties have a role in fostering
a resilient and shared digital space;
2. Encouraging executive-level awareness and leadership
on cyber risk management;
3. Developing a practical and effective implementation
program; and
4. Encouraging partners to develop a similar level of
awareness and commitment to cyber security.
Putting these principles into practice - and ensuring
that the full benefits of the internet and information
technologies reach all citizens and businesses the world
over - requires a robust and ongoing dialogue among all
relevant stakeholders, across all different sectors. Such
a collaborative approach is central to both the
Inter-American Cyber Security Strategy, adopted in 2004,
and the more recent 2012 Declaration on Strengthening
Cyber Security in the Americas.
OAS efforts since 2004 to promote greater cyber security
in the Americas reflect, and indeed have relied on,
Member States' own commitment to work to secure their
networks and critical information infrastructure. Through
the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) of
the Secretariat of Multidimensional Security (SMS), the
OAS has worked extensively to raise cyber security
awareness and bolster individual Member States'
capabilities, as well as to foster the growth of a
regional community of cyber security stakeholders and
collaborators. These efforts have entailed a broad range
of activities, including technical training and capacity
building courses, policy-level discussions, and cyber
security exercises and simulations, among others. The
Cyber Crime Working Group of the Meeting of Ministers of
Justice of Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA) and
the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL)
have collaborated in the execution of some of the
aforementioned activities as well as others aimed at
combating cyber crime and promoting a more effective
regime of regulations and standards pertaining to cyber
security.
In addition to working to improve cyber resilience within
individual Member States and the region as a whole, the
OAS has endeavored to become a model of cyber resilience
in its own right. The Department of Information and
Technology Services (DOITS) of the Secretariat of
Administration and Finance (SAF) has developed a cutting
edge capacity for protecting the organization's networks
and users, and has taken a position at the forefront of
the ever-evolving cyber security landscape.
For more information about the Partnering for Cyber
Resilience Initiative, please visit
http://www.weforum.org/issues/partnering-cyber-resilience-pcr.
For more information on the OAS Cyber Security Program,
please visit http://www.oas.org/cyber/
and/or contact cybersecurity@oas.org.
Reference: E-337/12
Recommend:
