Women Members of Parliament (MPs) and ICT experts on Monday underscored the need for creating awareness on cybersecurity among the people and enhancement of skills of those who are involved in ICT related tasks for ensuring smooth and uninterrupted journey towards Smart Bangladesh. Many cyberattacks are taking place mainly due to lack of awareness of the people and lack of skills of those who are involved in ICT related tasks, they said at the inaugural session of the two-day training programme on `Smart Bangladesh and Cyber security' organized by the World Bank financed Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division.
Over the last few years, the developments in technological innovation along with their easy accessibility have instilled a positive paradigm shift in the way we live. Born in the lap of new technological innovations and their intense intervention in every aspect of our life, cybercrime has become the talk of the time, thereby, cybersecurity—a demand of the time.
Bangladesh needs to frame updated
cybersecurity policies, create adequate
infrastructure and foster closer
collaboration among all those
involved to ensure a safe cyberspace
The need for reinforcing cyber security has often been neglected in Bangladesh because of the absence of stern and effective cyber security regulatory norms. The developed countries have laid more emphasis on resisting sophisticated cyber attacks and protecting information and infrastructure whereas Bangladesh is lagging far behind in taking such preparations owing to lack of skilled manpower and modern technology.
As computer systems have become fundamental to the daily functioning of businesses, organisations, governments and individuals, we have been compelled to put an implausible amount of trust in these systems. Despite being an amateur in computer literacy, we do not hesitate to preserve our valuable information in them. Thus, we may be victimised by the cyber criminals at any moment and that is why information revolution is often termed as a double-edged sword.
The government should look forward to playing an effective role in making the digital world safer. Mechanisms so far used for cybersecurity should be made more inclusive, and the question of rights and freedom in cyberspace needs to be duly addressed as well. Bangladesh needs to frame updated cybersecurity policies, create adequate infrastructure and foster closer collaboration among all those involved to ensure a safe cyberspace. Also, there is a need to deploy special cybersecurity watchdogs and equip them with advanced technology. Cybercrime is an emerging threat and no one is fully secure these days. Therefore, we need to know how we can control cybercrimes with continuous monitoring and act accordingly. The government should formulate and implement the right policies and cyber laws that will make cyberspace a safer place for all.
