14


The role of NSBs in achieving net zero


Acronyms spelled out Click to read


BSI is stepping up to the cybercrime challenge on a global level by developing a standards- based toolkit aimed at


building trust in the digital transformation process


FCDO and our standards community including ISO, ARSO, SABS and KEBS. This will ensure that the toolkit is relevant and meets the needs of a variety of developing countries.” (see pop-up Acronyms spelled out).


Fighting cybercrime and building trust


Cybercrime is now described as the world’s ‘third largest economy’ with the global cost estimated to be $6 trillion in 2021 and expected to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025*. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report of 2022 highlights the fact that businesses view cybersecurity as one of the top ten major risks over the next five years and concludes that: “Unless we act to improve digital trust with intentional and persistent trust-building initiatives, the digital world will continue to drift towards fragmentation and the promise of one of the most dynamic eras of human progress may be lost.”


BSI is stepping up to that challenge on a global level by developing a standards- based toolkit to help policy makers, NSBs


and the private sector in developing countries understand the value of standards in building trust in the digital transformation process, complementing national legislation and regulation. This initiative was given more urgency


by the Covid-19 pandemic which saw a massive shift in behaviour towards home working, online shopping, online payments and even online medical consultations. Because these changes were introduced at pace, and without the necessary security measures being built in, it made systems more vulnerable to abuse. Rapid uptake of digital technology has seen all countries succumb to malware attacks, identity theft and fraud. “The toolkit will demonstrate how


standards can help tackle concerns about cyber security, data privacy, digital identity, and the interoperability of cloud based services and the internet of things,” says Cindy Parokkil, Government Engagement Manager, Standards Policy, at BSI. “We’ll be piloting it shortly in Kenya and


Indonesia with the support of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and we aim to roll-out the programme with partners more widely thereafter. “The beauty of the toolkit is that we are


developing it in consultation with leading institutions that are actively supporting developing countries in their digital transformation process, such as UNCTAD, the AfDB, the Commonwealth Secretariat,


This is directly relevant to the net zero agenda because new distributed renewable energy systems, intelligent low carbon transport systems and the whole concept of smart, sustainable cities fundamentally depends on the integrity, security and integration of data, in a way that preserves individuals’ privacy. “A city is not smart if its data is not secure,” argues Cindy. Adopting international standards could also make the difference between attracting the investment needed for net zero projects or not. “The scale of investment required for the net zero transformation – an estimated $500 billion p.a. in energy alone – is such that global investors will discriminate between projects according to whether or not they are adopting global best practice in the form of international standards,“ says Cindy. “Private finance will not flow into net zero


projects unless investors can be assured of three things: there is popular demand for the new services; there is confidence in the reliability/resilience of the new technology; and that the net zero outcomes will be met. It is international standards and conformity assessment which provide that assurance and we, as NSBs, need to reach out to the world of finance to ensure that investment follows quality assurance.”


*Source: Cyber Security Ventures Nov 2020.


Contents


Subscribe


Contact us


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34