Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 29 November (BelTA) - Building an effective information security architecture is a crucial element in the successful transition from modern social pattern to e-government and digital economy, Igor Sergeyenko, First Deputy Chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus, said at the opening of the international conference on information security in Minsk on 29 November, BelTA has learned.

“The theme of digitalization of states and supranational entities and certain areas of the economy and public life evokes great interest. Building an effective information security architecture is a crucial element in ensuring the successful transition from modern social pattern to e-government and digital economy,” Igor Sergeyenko noted. He recalled that the ordinance on digital economy has created the most favorable conditions in Belarus for domestic and foreign representatives of the information business-industry. It is therefore important to discuss aspects of its implementation, particularly with regard to security issues.

Igor Sergeyenko noted that the theme of the forum is consonant with the main modern trends, namely breakthrough advances in information technologies. “They have been developing at a rapid pace. Information is becoming a strategic resource, on par with the traditional material and energy values. The information revolution is multi-faceted and has led to the increase in the volume of circulating information in the world, and has transformed the way information is obtained, processed and delivered. It has changed the quality and the philosophy of people’s lives, created new forms of artificial intelligence capable of replacing huge human resources. In other words, information is transforming the world,” he said

Yet, any positive changes have a reverse side, Igor Sergeyenko noted. “The rapid growth of information technology, its integration in all spheres of life of modern society requires adopting conceptual, strategic and legal measures to ensure the effective functioning of the information security system in order to protect, first and foremost, national interests, and also to combat cyber crime, and counteract hybrid information wars and color revolutions,” Igor Sergeyenko noted. “We can respond to the contemporary challenges and threats to national, regional and international security only on the basis of the best scientific knowledge and technologies through coordinated and integrated measures at both the national and at interstate level. In this light, partnership cooperation is acquiring special importance, including within the framework of the CIS, the CSTO and the SCO. We have already reached the agreements in principle on the development of a number of joint activities. The most important of them is to develop a system to monitor and respond to emerging threats, combat the use of information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes, improve legal approaches to the use of information weapons, personnel training,” Igor Sergeyenko noted.

Belarusian scientists and practitioners are working to further develop the conceptual foundations of information security of Belarus and to improve the legislative framework in this area. It is impossible to describe emerging risks in information sphere in legislation once and forever. We need to update this information on a regular basis and work out appropriate measures of response. This conference should contribute to this as well, Igor Sergeyenko added.

The international conference “Information Revolution and Challenges of the New Era - Modern Approaches to Information Security” is running in Minsk on 29-30 November. The conference was organized by the National Security Institute in cooperation with the State Security Committee of Belarus.

The forum is designed to consolidate the community of information security experts, identify challenges and threats associated with the development of the digital economy, exchange experience in ensuring information security in its ideological, organizational, legal, psychological, historical and technical dimensions. The conference has brought together experts from government agencies, educational institutions and scientific organizations of Belarus, the CIS countries, representatives of the financial sector, IT companies, commercial companies and security services. Among the participants are also representatives of the special services of the CIS countries, and also of China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, their departmental educational and scientific institutions.