The Cyber Shield 2022, organized by the National Cyber Incident Response Center (USOM) operating under the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) with the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, has begun.
Cyber Shield 2022, aimed at enhancing the preparedness levels and incident response capabilities of institutions and organizations at the national level against cyber incidents, brought together SOMEs teams. The opening of the two-day competition was conducted by Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. Deputy Minister Sayan reminded that the technological transformations experienced have also brought some cyber threats along with them. Stating that cyber security is a concept that concerns all of us, Sayan said, “Security threats are not only faced by states with weapons; they can also be encountered from the virtual space that encompasses computer networks called cyberspace and all data sources accessible through these networks. Therefore, we need to take measures from the individual level to the national level to protect against cyber threats.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Successes in the Cyber Field Are as Vital as Successes in the Military Field
Stating that they take the National Technology Move as a guide in their work in this field, Sayan gave a message of domestic and national production by saying, “On this path we have embarked on with the aim of turning our country into a high-tech production hub, the information sector can become a sustainable source of prosperity only if we use our domestic and national products.”
Drawing attention to the fact that successes in the cyber field are as vital as those in the military field, Sayan shared the information that, “If you cannot develop your defense weapons with your own capabilities and are dependent on foreign sources, you cannot think that you are under comprehensive protection. While we are determinedly and resolutely conducting our efforts to develop domestic and national cyber security solutions in collaboration with the Ministry and BTK, we also use domestically and nationally produced software such as KASIRGA, AZAD, ATMACA, AVCI, and KULE at USOM, where we do not allow cyber attacks to pass through.”
Emphasizing the importance of collaborations in the field of cyber security, Sayan said, “We also value information sharing and effective collaboration on international platforms in cyberspace. In this context, we contribute to and participate in the policy and strategy-determining activities of international organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, OSCE, G20, OECD, Turkic Council, and D8. In addition, we carry out bilateral collaborations and memorandums of understanding in the field of cyber security.”
President Karagözoğlu: The Impact of Cyber Incidents is a Common Problem for the Whole World
Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, also made a speech explaining the importance of cyber security. Karagözoğlu stated, “The impact of cyber incidents has exceeded individual damages and become a common problem for the whole world.”
Underlining that states need to be prepared against these threats, Karagözoğlu said, “Cyber attacks today occur in the form of phishing, viruses, spyware, malware, and ransomware attacks. The total number of phishing attacks in the first three months of 2022 exceeded 1 million worldwide for the first time. Phishing attacks, which are not only carried out to seize data and demand ransom, also aim to seize personal information of individual users and cause financial losses. Cyber attacks, which are also mentioned in the ‘2022 Global Risks Report’ published by the World Economic Forum, are shown as one of the biggest global risks after climate change and pandemics.”
Stating that it is impossible to escape from cyber incidents, Karagözoğlu provided information about their work by saying, “Cyber attacks today occur in the form of phishing, viruses, spyware, malware, and ransomware attacks. The total number of phishing attacks in the first three months of 2022 exceeded 1 million worldwide for the first time. Phishing attacks, which are not only carried out to seize data and demand ransom, also aim to seize personal information of individual users and cause financial losses. Cyber attacks, which are also mentioned in the ‘2022 Global Risks Report’ published by the World Economic Forum, are shown as one of the biggest global risks after climate change and pandemics.”
Also touching upon the importance of trained human resources in the field of cyber security, Karagözoğlu said, “At this point, with the ‘CYBER STAR’ capture the flag competitions aimed at young people to meet the need for experts in cyber security in our country, we aim to discover young talents and employ them in public institutions and organizations that need experts in this field. In addition, we provide cyber security laboratory training to successful young people in competitions through the FETİH Cyber Training Ground program. On the other hand, by integrating BTK Academy trainings, we make significant contributions to capacity building in this field.”
President Karagözoğlu called on SOMEs by saying, “Both during the exercise and afterwards, the feedback from our cyber security experts is very valuable to us. Cyber security is one of the fields that requires teamwork. In this context, I find it beneficial to remind the importance of always staying in communication and interaction, including brainstorming and exchange of ideas.”