The theme of the fifth edition of “Technology Chats” organized by HAVELSAN was “Cyber Wars and the Future.”
Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK), stated in his speech at the opening of the "5th Technology Chats" themed "Cyber Wars and the Future," organized in collaboration with HAVELSAN and BTK, that developing technologies are leading to economic, political, social, and cultural transformations worldwide.
Pointing out that technology, alongside the opportunities it offers, also carries risks, Karagözoğlu said, "Technologies that access every area of human life are causing security vulnerabilities to emerge and new concerns to develop. Attacks on websites, network systems, computers, servers, and industrial systems pose great dangers to individuals' personal security and states' national security."
Drawing attention to the fact that cyber attacks can reach capabilities that cause significant damage, Karagözoğlu stated, "Cyber wars are one of the most important threats to countries' national security."
Emphasizing that states are not only increasing their cyber capacities but also establishing cyber security units in their armies, Karagözoğlu noted that Turkey has also developed cyber security strategies for cyber space efforts in recent years.
President Karagözoğlu: CERTs Are Working Effectively
Karagözoğlu stated that the National Cyber Incident Response Center (USOM) under BTK has an important mission for the efficient and coordinated use of cyber space capacity, and added: "The number of cyber attacks reported to USOM by electronic communication operators was recorded as 8,625 in 2016, 99,600 in 2017, and 72,975 in 2018. In the first half of this year, the number of attacks reached 95,202. USOM and Cyber Incident Response Teams (CERTs) are working effectively against these attacks that could affect our country. As an institution, we place special emphasis on Turkey's sensitivity to domestic and national software. Software such as AVCI, AZAD, and KASIRGA, developed entirely with domestic and national resources, are proof of this."
Expressing that these software can make effective detections against cyber espionage attacks, Karagözoğlu evaluated, "With the Cyber Star Competition we organize, the trainings we provide to CERTs, and the periodic consultation meetings, we contribute to cyber security efforts. For the security of our country, we are always ready to support our stakeholders who say 'I am here too' in the cyber field, either alone or with national power elements, adhering to international law principles, in line with their own rules, principles, and strategies."