Manila The reality of cyber attacks opened a new dimension to the concept of sovereignty — from simply being limited to physical borders — to exercising jurisdiction over the intangible realm of cyberspace.
Vice-President Jejomar Binay spoke during the National Defence College of the Philippines (NDCP) in Camp Aguinaldo. He said while inroads had grown by leaps and bounds on how people conduct business, communicate and relate with each other through the internet, it also brought about risks that exploit the medium’s capability to cross borders at the click of a mouse.
“A country’s information systems may be less tangible than its physical borders but these are in no way less valuable to a nation’s sovereignty,” Binay stressed on Sunday during the four-day seminar.
The event was organised to provide participants a comprehensive understanding of cyber security from management to the technology aspect.
Cyber security is vital to key social, economic, political and military functions. It is a shared responsibility. Binay called for an improvement to the country’s cyber security capabilities and stressed the importance of a beefed-up infrastructure as well as the need for information and communications industries given the “reality of cyber attacks.”
‘New breed of criminals’
According to the Vice President, internet has become a “borderless venue of information technology” that has become “the most resilient and reliable infrastructure for personal propaganda.” He cited as an example recent cyber security threats, including the defacement of several government websites by Chinese hackers as a result of the dispute over the Scarborough Shoal.
Binay said the Philippines recognised the “crucial truths” of these recent events.
“Left untamed and unbridled, these new breed of criminals will push the very limits of system security,” he said.
“Cyber attacks on a national scale make or break a nation’s political and economy position. If no global collaborative effort is credibly organised and upheld, it is doubtful that any country will be equipped to readily and effectively respond to the cyber attacks of the future,” Binay, an alumnus of the NDCP, added.
Rampant growth
Binay said in response to growing concern, lawmakers have been pushing for the passage of the Cyber Security Act of 2012.
“This seminal legislation aims to create and protect an environment conducive to development, acceleration, and rational application of information and communications technology without sacrificing the integrity and confidentiality of computers, computer and communications systems, networks, and databases,” he said.
He added the United States had made cyber security a high priority.
“Increased investments in resilient security measures are being made as US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta reveals that cyber threats are growing rampant every day and without proper capabilities to counter these threats, any country can be paralysed,” Binay said.
“Both the private and public sectors risk the most painful losses and as such we must stand shoulder to shoulder if we are to guarantee safety if not victory,” he added.
