Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are on the way of revolutionising our lives and society. They are playing a catalytic role in reaching out to common people and transforming everybody’s life through various tools and communication mediums.

In this context it has also become important to consider the security and the privacy aspect of information and communication technologies. This was echoed as a global concern in the WSIS Forum 2009 that was held in Geneva from 18-22 May, 2009.

The strength of ICTs in terms of its impacts in speed and scale is being used by unscrupulous elements to cause much damage in the cyber world. The threat of this damage is not just from viruses and malware. It also includes inaccurate and misleading information, fraud, theft and forgery, which exist online just as they do offline.

Organized crime has been on the rise as the internet provides a low risk but convenient platform for cyber crimes. There is also lack of harmonization, standardization and coordination in national and regional legislation between countries, which makes it difficult to trace the criminal.

At the WSIS Forum, participants from all over the globe emphasized building international cooperation to deal with the critical issue of cyber security.

The Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) is an initiative started by International Telecommunication Union with partnership with various Government and international organizations to create a platform that will combat cyber threat at various levels.

The GCA is built upon five strategic pillars:
1. Legal Measures
2. Technical and Procedural Measures
3. Organizational Structures
4. Capacity Building
5. International Cooperation

Internet being a democratic technology, the threat to it will be a part of forthcoming technological evolution as well. This problem has to be tackled with coordination and partnership of the highest standard, across all stakeholders and across the global level.

By Kedar Dash

Also Published in Digital Opportunity Channel