MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) – Due to the rapid advance of technologies it is now necessary to protect government data in Belarus. Chairman of the State Science and Technology Committee Aleksandr Shumilin made the statement during the international applied science conference “Security and sustainable development: Theory and practice in conditions of digital transformation” on 5 December, BelTA has learned.
The official underlined that Belarus possesses a powerful foundation that allows the state to keep up with global trends in the area of digital transformation. “The Republic of Belarus is in the top 40 countries with a very high level of development of digital government. The Hi-Tech Park is one of the engines driving the development of the IT sphere in Belarus. At present the Hi-Tech Park is a place where such important technologies are being developed as the Internet of Things, machine learning, and game industry,” Aleksandr Shumilin reminded.
The official said: “Taking into account the level of informatization in the Republic of Belarus, the country faces an important task of protecting government data. Its accomplishment can be divided into three mutually complementary components: the legal and regulatory framework, the development of information technologies, software, and hardware, and human resources.”
Speaking about the legal and regulatory framework, the official mentioned the importance of international interaction. He reminded that in September Belarus and Russia signed a plan on cooperation in the area of international information security. It provides for consultations, data sharing, analysis and evaluation of threats as well as coordination of response measures.
Speaking about the development of information and communications technologies, Aleksandr Shumilin said that the digital government infrastructure is being expanded in Belarus. “Data is protected by means of introducing a system to manage open keys for checking digital signatures into government agencies,” he added. “Apart from that, new technologies to protect data are developed every year. Most of them are developed within the framework of the government program Data Security, which has been implemented in Belarus since 2006.” According to Aleksandr Shumilin, 50 tasks have been completed as part of the program. The program has also produced 20 new devices, 16 software and hardware solutions, 18 guidelines, and 12 novelties. They allow fighting malware and protecting data.
Aleksandr Shumilin mentioned several most important threats to data security. The human factor is the first one. People employed by an organization can unwittingly damage the organization's information security. He also mentioned malware and all kinds of phishing attacks and social engineering scams (attempts to mislead users and convince them to part with confidential information). Aleksandr Shumilin also mentioned the danger of cyberattacks in the sphere of the Internet of Things. Today the sphere includes not only personal devices but cars, medical equipment, and home security systems. Attacks against industrial infrastructure and the use of outdated software also represent a threat.
“In view of the development of the society, the state, and digital transformation of Belarus we should be ready for the emergence of new threats and challenges that will have to be tackled by pooling efforts of the scientific community, educational institutions, and commercial entities. A comprehensive approach to dealing with digital security problems can guarantee the sustainable development of our country and its place among world leaders in this sphere,” Aleksandr Shumilin concluded.
The 7th international applied science conference “Security and sustainable development: Theory and practice in conditions of digital transformation” is scheduled to take place in Minsk on 5-6 December. The conference has been arranged by the State Security Committee (KGB) in association with the state education institution National Security Institute of the Republic of Belarus. The plenary session took place in the President Hotel on 5 December. Top officials of the KGB, the State Secretariat of the Security Council, the State Science and Technology Committee, the National Security Institute, the CIS Executive Committee, the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center, and the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research (BISR) took part in it.
Taking part in the conference are over 450 delegates from 11 countries and eight international organizations (the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center, the CIS Executive Committee, the Executive Committee of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO RATS), the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States (CIS IPA), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Standing Committee of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia).
