The International Day for a Safer Internet was celebrated at an event in Tripoli Tuesday (7 February).
The Libyan Telecom Holding Company, the Communications and Informatics Public Authority, the Libyan Association for Safer Internet, the Criminal Investigation Department, the Department for Combating Information Technology Crimes, the General Authority for Monitoring Media Content, the National Authority for Information Security and Safety, the Higher Committee for Childhood and several civil society organizations participated in the event.
Speaking on behalf of the Communications and Informatics Public Authority, the Director of the Development Department, Abdul Qadir Al-Zlitni, highlighted the efforts exerted to make the Internet a safe environment for all by activating legislative and societal protection mechanisms through the concerned sovereign institutions.
He emphasized Libya’s hosting of the North African Internet Governance Forum next May, in addition to efforts to launch the national strategy for the telecommunications sector.
Zlitni added that the authority took upon itself the task of placing Libya in a distinguished position in the field of communications, in addition to efforts to provide a safer technological environment that guarantees citizens their rights to benefit from the maximum that technology gives, but in a safe way.
He noted that these aspirations will not be achieved unless general frameworks that organize the efforts made by everyone are set. Foremost of these is the National Strategy for Cybersecurity, which included in one of its objectives supporting the trend towards digital transformation.
For his part, in an exclusive interview with the Libya Herald, the head of the Libyan Internet Society, Omar Shoran, said that this year’s celebration is concerned with the safe use of the Internet, especially by children and the social impact of the Internet on young people.
He added that in this event, light was shed through visual presentations on cybersecurity, internet dangers, mechanisms for achieving a secure information network, and combating information disturbance. Several statistics were presented to monitor media content, while other presentations focused on the importance of competitions and activities and their impact on the safe use of technology. Children, as well as the impact of internet use on educational attainment, and the importance of using free open-source software in protection through the global information network, were discussed.
In an exclusive interview with the Libya Herald, Salah Shtewi, General Manager of Excellence Consulting and Information Security Company, specializing in cybersecurity, said, “The World Information Security Day is an initiative launched by the European Union and the European Organization in 2004 to increase internet awareness ‘‘Insafe’’.
The matter developed in 2009, and committees began to be formed for the World Safer Internet Day in countries to strengthen ties between them and facilitate and enhance cooperation in issues related to safety and security on the Internet.
Stressing that internet threats and attacks are increasing, as well as the means of information security are constantly increasing and improving. The best form of defence against them is the implementation of the information security controls covered by the legislation regulating that and the use of means to protect users of the Internet so that we have a safe Internet.
He pointed out that information security incidents are unconfirmed risks that can cause serious damage to business, and therefore organizations must take measures to identify, evaluate and manage incidents effectively immediately so that they do not have negative effects socially and economically. An unsafe Internet causes the loss of moral and social values as well as in accidents and very serious material and economic losses. He added that this is what happens in many internet crimes and attacks in many countries of the world, and Libya is part of this world.
