THE Ministry of Communications and Aviation (MCA) has launched the National Cybersecurity Policy on Tuesday.
The event took place at the Heritage Park Hotel and was witnessed by government officials and representatives of government stakeholders, including development partners.
The policy is in line with the Government for National Unity and Transformation’s (GNUT’s) recognition of the need to prioritize the establishment of security protocols to improve the digital security landscape of Solomon Islands.
In the policy’s forward, the MCA Minister Fredrick Kologeto said the mission of the policy is to promote a safe and secure cyber environment that enables people and organizations to access knowledge, share information while understanding and addressing the associated threats and risks, provide the basis for secure stable economic and social development and ensure the protection of the country’s democratic structures.
“This policy marks an important milestone in Solomon Islands digital transformation journey. It upholds the national security strategy [which] strives to maintain [the] safety and security of our people, business, processes and the government of Solomon Islands.
“The advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and internet-enabled services has transformed the world into a small global village within the last decade,” Minister Kologeto said.
He added that the advancement in ICTs and digital technology is redefining the global socio-economic and political landscape.
“This unprecedented growth in the digital space has pointed us to a new era marked with easy and low-cost access to advanced global interconnected networks of services and production line.
“Hence, the coverage into ICT, reliance on broadband technologies, and the internet has become the new world we live in,” he said.
Minister Kologeto added that in order to harness the growth of ICT and digital services in Solomon Islands, the government has approved the Financial Inclusion Strategy 2021, the Telecommunication Amendment Act 2021 and the National E-commerce Strategy, which capture the cross-cutting nature of online commerce.
“With the increasing dependency on the internet and ICT, the safety and security of users are becoming a global challenge.
“The internet and the cyberspace have become the new playing ground for criminals, whereby illegal and unethical practices are carried out to exploit vulnerabilities in the digital system, resulting in the victimization of users, businesses and governments.
“And it is in this context that I am pleased to present the National Cybersecurity Policy, which aims to build from the existing policies, aligned with the National ICT Policy and the National Security strategy,” Minister Kologeto said.
The MCA Minister added that the National Cybersecurity Policy envisions a safe and secure cyberspace in Solomon Islands that is conducive for the creation of a robust, reliable and safe usage of ICT for economic growth.
He acknowledged the work done by his ministry and the National Cybersecurity Working Group with the support of the International Telecommunication Union since 2020 to ensure that the policy was completed and launched.
The National Cybersecurity Policy has been developed through a consultive process from 2020 to 2024.
The policy was reviewed by relevant stakeholders both in the national capital and the provincial centers to ensure that it is a true representation of the cybersecurity needs and views of Solomon Islanders.
Based on the feedback from the consultations and analyses conducted by the working committee, the final copy of the National Cybersecurity Policy was produced.
By AGNES MENANOPO
Solomon Star, Honiara
Government officials with representatives of government stakeholders, including development partners, who attended the launching of the National Cybersecurity Policy. Photo by AGNES MENANOPO
