The Economic Times defines Cyber Security as the techniques of protecting computers, networks, programs and data from unauthorized access or attacks that are aimed for exploitation.
Cyber Security protects system and computer against virus, worms, Malware, Spyware and among others. Likewise, Cyber Security also guards the companies’ data, information and individuals’ details. On the other hand, the issue regarding Cyber Security is punching very hardly in this era of technology. The effect created by weak Cyber Security is dangerous and destructive enough for this entire world.
At current time lots of crime regarding Cyber Security can be observed. Some of the most common Cyber Security crime are disclose of private information’s, hacking of social media, bank accounts and many others. Along with the rapid grow of advance technology, the crime related with technological stuffs are also growing day by day. Many illegal activities are carried out through online platform.
With the huge increase in internet use, Southeast Asia is more prone to attacks from outside sources. Cyber attacks use various methods to alter computer code, logic, or data, resulting in a data breach or system failure. A telling 2015 report showed that among the Southeast Asian, Hong Kong was the most affected by cyber attacks, followed by Taiwan and Thailand reports The Diplomat.
In the present context of Nepal, cyber attacks are burgeoning happening. The only reason behind its aggressive growth is weak law and policies. Lawmakers don’t seem to be more attentive towards cyber attacks.
Cyber attacks are also a big phenomenon in developed countries and highly profiled companies’. Recently the tycoon of Social Media ‘Facebook’ became the victim of Cyber attack. Eighty-seven million Facebook users data were shared with Cambridge Analytica (London based political consulting firm which combined data mining, data brokerage, and data analysis with strategic communication for the electoral process.)
Despite the growing threat, awareness and knowledge of cyber security is still insufficient:
- 51% of European citizens feel uninformed on cyber threats
- 69% of companies have no basic understanding of their exposure to cyber risks.[ Council of the EU]
According to The Diplomat In 2015, Kaspersky Lab ranked the Philippines as the 33rd country most prone to cyber security threats, out of 233 nations evaluated. Government websites have been defaced by hackers to voice concerns to the government. The Cybercrime Prevent Act, was passed in 2012 to prevent cyber security attacks. The latest cyber attack targeted the Commission on Election’s database, which was breached by LulzSec Pilipinas, exposing millions of citizen’s personal data to the world.
According to one report prepare by United Nations Economic commission of Africa:
Africa is facing several Internet-related challenges in relation to security risk, intellectual property infringement and protection of personal data. Cybercriminals target people inside and outside their national boundaries and most African governments have neither the technical, nor the financial capacity to target and monitor electronic exchanges deemed sensitive for national security. These challenges are: • Low level of security provisions sufficient to prevent and control technological and informational risks.
- Lack of technical know-how in terms of cybersecurity and inability to monitor and defend national networks, making African countries vulnerable to cyberespionage, as well as to incidences of cyberterrorism.
- Inability to develop the necessary cybersecurity legal frameworks to fight cybercrime. A survey of 21 countries conducted by ECA19 found that while many countries had proposed legislations, the level of deployment of security systems in both the private and the public sectors to combat cyber-crime was low.
- Cyber-security concerns are broader in scope than national security concerns. Yet, few major significant cybersecurity initiatives in Africa have been implemented. As ICTs are hailed as the end-all to the many pressing problems of Africa, cybersecurity is a critical issue that needs to be dealt more comprehensively.
- There is a need to build an information society that respects values, rights and confidence and trust in the use of the Internet, including carrying out online transactions, by all stakeholders. This should be enhanced by initiating capacity- building among relevant policy stakeholders and creating a framework for local enforcement of cybercrime mitigation.