At the Summit for Developing the Cyber Security Ecosystem, the fifth edition of which was organized this year by the Turkish Informatics Association, the topic of cyber security was discussed in depth.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan attended the opening of the summit. Speaking about the effects of digitalization, Sayan said, “Technological developments contribute to the enhancement of countries' cyber security capabilities and capacities, while cyber threats emerge as a common problem that the entire world must overcome.”
Noting that the importance of cyber security is increasingly understood every day, Sayan stated, “Events occurring around the world have revealed how sensitive societies are to cyber attacks and how devastating the consequences can be if not properly prepared. Before the war in the North of our country, we witnessed Ukraine being subjected to waves of cyber attacks targeting especially public institutions and the financial sector. However, it should not be forgotten that the cyber attacks in Ukraine are not specific to the current conjuncture,” he warned.
Deputy Minister Sayan: Cyber Security is an Indispensable Part of National Security
Referring to the fact that wars are now conducted in cyberspace rather than through air, land, sea, or space, Sayan said, “As the Ministry and BTK, we see cyber security as an indispensable part of national security. Our efforts continue without slowing down to achieve the targets we set in the 2020-2023 National Cyber Security Strategy. In our strategy, prepared taking into account the changing environment and developing technology, we consider not only our country's short-term needs but also the needs we may encounter in the long term,” he spoke about their work.
Touching on USOM's activities in this regard, Sayan said, “USOM continues its uninterrupted watch on our cyber borders to protect our country against cyber attacks on a 7/24 basis. Equipped with the latest technology, USOM also takes the necessary actions within the scope of BTK's cooperation with operators. In addition, USOM sustains its cyber security activities with software it has developed entirely domestically and nationally. Thanks to the KASIRGA software, 16 million IP addresses in our country are scanned continuously, and subsequently, vulnerabilities are detected with the ATAMACA software, and the necessary processes are carried out. Alongside these software, we use domestic and national solutions such as AVCI, AZAD, KULE for threat intelligence and malware analysis,” he once again drew attention to the importance of domestic and national production.
Sayan concluded his speech by mentioning the results of the Turkey Electronic Communications Sector 3-Monthly Market Data Report.
President Karagözoğlu: Data is the Gold of Our Age
Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, who participated in the program online, also spoke about the risks and opportunities of technology. Drawing attention to the fact that individuals, companies, critical infrastructures, and states are under serious cyber threats, Karagözoğlu said, “Ensuring cyber security is no longer just a need to eliminate dangers in areas where technology is intensively used. Due to connected risks in social and economic life, cyber security has become a part of National Security and a major factor affecting the welfare of nations. Therefore, on one hand, we need to think about how new technologies will make our lives easier and how to make these technologies more accessible.”
Karagözoğlu said, “As the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, while fulfilling our regulatory duties towards the electronic communications sector in our country on one hand, we continue our activities to ensure national cyber security on the other.”
Defining data as the gold of the age, Karagözoğlu said, “Protecting the data we have from attacks requires taking some technological and legal measures, which is beyond a preference but a necessity. I want to remind that all actors involved in the process from the moment information is processed/produced until it is destroyed have responsibilities regarding ensuring information security.”