Global Cyber Expertise Magazine – Issue 6 – October 2019

The Global Cyber Expertise Magazine is a bi-annual magazine on global cyber policy developments and capacity building projects. The Magazine is jointly published by the African Union, the European Union, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise and the Organization of American States.

In this sixth edition, published in October 2019, we see practical cyber capacity building (CCB) activities carried out in all regions especially with a focus on international cooperation. This reflects an improvement in the coordination of CCB resources, knowledge-sharing and expertise around the world. Our cover story on Africa discusses the African Union Commission’s role in ensuring member states are equipped to face cybersecurity challenges posed by the digital transformation of the region. An interview with Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, similarly gives insight to the priorities of the AUC and promoting cybersecurity. From Europe, Norway shares their lessons learnt in drafting and implementing a cybersecurity strategy after publishing their fourth strategy this year (hint: it involves international cooperation and building on best practices). International cooperation is highlighted again in an article on European Union’s Cyber Resilience for Development (Cyber4Dev) project which promotes a multi-layered approach to security and provides assistance to partners in developing countries. From Asia & Pacific, we have an article on cybercrime capacity building and training with the formation of an Asia-Pacific “hub”, a collaboration between the Korea Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (KSPO), World Bank and the GFCE. Also, read more about India’s new training program, the “Cyber Surakshit Bharat”, for senior government officials to address and mitigate cybersecurity challenges and create awareness. From the Americas, a key takeaway from both articles is that cybersecurity challenges requires collaboration, public and private. In one article, the Organization of American States (OAS) and CISCO describe the launch of their Cybersecurity Innovation Council and how this will enhance cybersecurity in the Americas. In a second article, the OAS delves into their confidence-building measures in cyberspace and the importance of cyber diplomacy. From Global developments, the UNODA shares their new online training course on cyber diplomacy that was developed in partnership with Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency. In another article, the GFCE Secretariat reflects on the GFCE’s progress since its launch in 2015 and how we may continue to accelerate forward.