Toespraak van staatssecretaris Bijleveld op Govcert Symposium 2009
Toespraak van staatssecretaris Bijleveld, waarin zij de overheid oproept haar informatiesystemen beter te beschermen. Uitgesproken op 6 oktober op het Govcert Symposium 2009, 'Initiating Change', in het WTC in Rotterdam.
"The motto of this conference: “initiating change”, is a call to arms. Everywhere people adamantly reclaim safety in their own environment. People want for themselves and their children, a world where they can live, work and play without worrying. They no longer tolerate crime or a lack of security.
It is much the same in the avenues and alleys, on the squares and highways of the digital world. We have the right to move freely in the public spaces that constitute our world, whether they are physical or virtual.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Internet security ranks high on the social and political agenda.
The reason for this priority is not the result of clever lobbying or smart wheeling and dealing by internet security companies. It reflects a real problem for real people. The threats to our digital security are felt by individuals, the business world and governments alike.
We are all keenly aware of the actual dangers to our privacy and the integrity of our information and communication. And probably there are some other threats we are not even aware of. If the Digital world is anything, it is fast moving. And not all the geniuses are “good guys”.
Govcert recently published a trend report analysing cyber crime. It notes the cracks in the foundation of the internet. This is not my field but I understand at least their point: the internet was not build for what we use it for today. The internet is not sealed off properly and anyone, including criminals and terrorists, can use the doors to get in.
We – on the other hand – put everything on the net as if there is no tomorrow. We twitter and use Linkedin, Hyves, Msn and Face book, without any reservation. We make all our private information – including things we wouldn’t even trust to paper -readily available for any handyman.
In the physical world we use thick steel safes to protect our papers and cherished objects from fire or thieves. But on the net we hang out our valuables in a paper bag. An other issue in the Trend report of Govcert is the fact that our cryptography quickly becomes obsolete. Hackers and criminals work nearly as fast as we do, to undo our efforts.
And then there is cloud-computing: cooperating and sharing information through the internet. It offers wonderful and promising possibilities but it is unprotected. Therefore it is unfit for private or confidential information and thus – at least for now - not suitable for official business, for local or national government.
This summer, here in the Netherlands, we witnessed several incidents that showed the vital importance of ICT-security. I know that problems can arise anywhere and these incidents caused - thanks also to the efforts of Govcert - no major damage.
Still, they are unacceptable.
E-Government in the Netherlands is my responsibility. In this country - as anywhere else in the western world, these days – the trust in government is not self evident. Daily we have to prove our critical citizens that we are reliable and vigilant.
People have to trust us with their information; they often have no other choice. We are therefore obliged to provide the optimal security. That means – in all honesty - that we have to do better than now.
All government departments have a CIO, a chief information officer. From them I expect a significant technical and organisational step forward. They have to build prominent security organisations for which patch management is a critical issue. And the advice and instructions of Govcert should be considered.
We have to better; to reach higher, than we do now. Security must get a more prominent and permanent place in our organisation.
To ensure this I will propose periodic audits in this field as well as a legal obligation to report incidents.
Ladies and gentlemen
This conference seems to me a perfect place to advance our ambitions. International cooperation and even more, the exchange of information, are urgent and imperative and you are the specialists.
We rely on you for our digital security. "