Cybersecurity threats real, says minister Masiu

STATE-sponsored threats to PNG’s cybersecurity are real, according to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Timothy Masiu.
These threats, whether from private or state sponsored sources, can cripple systems and put the country in strife, he said.
The biggest threats to the State comes from ransomware which are scripts or programmes that are introduced into digital systems to block people from accessing their system or data.
The attack that crippled the finance department in 2021 was one such ransomware which took K30 million to rebuild.
From pornography to ransomware attacks, PNG is very exposed because of its past pace of digitalisation and the slower progress of awareness of the security and safety aspects of the technology, Masiu said.
These issues were discussed between Masiu and Australia’s cybersecurity ambassador Brandon Dowling recently in Port Moresby.
Masiu and Dowling shared notes on where the two nations are at in the area of cyber-security, cyber-safety and cyber-crime.
A national cybersecurity strategy is going before cabinet shortly, Masiu indicated.
“Cybersecurity is everybody’s business,” ICT Department secretary Steven Matainaho said.
“If Australian is attacked, PNG has to secure its people and its assets from the same attacks.” He said PNG was working with Australia and the United States to strengthen its cybersecurity.
PNG introduced a cybersecurity policy in 2021 and the next year the Department of Information and Communications Technology established a unit for the task which is now fully functional.
It has commenced training of people in both the public and private sector in aspects of cyber-security and cyber-safety.
Following the Apec leaders summit in 2018, the ICT department took over all the Australian Government cybersecurity equipment that was employed during the meet.
Related to this, the ICT Department and the Department of Community Development are working to establish proper protocols for filtering of content on the internet.
Cabinet gave both departments the nod last year to filter content on internet in light of damaging material such as pornography being available to all members of the public with a smart phone today.
Masiu said the National ICT Authority was waiting on the National Censorship Board to provide relevant guidelines to put in place before effecting content filtering.