Cybersecurity: There are few talented code writers

In this era where explosion of information has become common, it is clear that information has had an ascending and transcending influence in our societies and for national governments security apparatus. Long gone are the days when world war will be conducted in military hardware. I am one of those thinkers who think the next world war will be about cyber warfare. Countries no longer need an industrial complex to marshal deadly force to launch an attack on their perceived enemies. Recent data shows that potential attacks in cyberspace are an illustration of growing asymmetry in warfare and countries that will be laggards in this information spectrum development will also be an underdogs in future warfare. In countries like Russia, USA, Estonia, United Kingdom, Israel, China Germany and Finland, Internet technology has over the past decade underpinned both economic and military might of each country. Studies in Russia and United States of America have shown that reliability on Information and Technology has created multiple vulnerabilities.

Uncle Sam invest heavily in research, technology development as well as production of advanced weapons systems still remain the most advanced in cyber security if words of secret service contractor fugitive Edward Snowden are true. In my knowledge about cyber security, the cyber threats require parties and key players involved not to be complacent with conventional superiority. Since the revelations made by Snowden, secret security agencies have had to fight negative publicity but any sane mind like me will tell you that those smart men and women have no business with clean people and after the needle in haystack. Without adequate security, there would be no better quality of life and human rights would go unprotected. In my opinion, a successful model of cybersecurity should encompass welfare and safety of cyber networks. In countries affected by terrorism, governments need to work with ISPs to oversee metadata of mobile users although I don’t support mining of the data.

There is need for government and private sector collaboration on cyber security that could forms the basis of collaboration between the two in a broader architecture to fight cyber crooks who have become a menace for tax payers funded institution called government. Instead of that money going towards development of infrastructures that could create millions of jobs to young people, an isolated number that has found it necessary to engage in online crimes that has now incorporated traditional criminals like pedophiles and kidnappers.Governments and private sector should jointly train cyber security professionals in order to fight online crime and the thriving trade and commerce thievery. Governments should also be keen to have indigenous companies develop Indigenous security solutions since there is now a growing feeling that foreign developed systems are compromised. The problem is that very few countries have talented masters in the kind of code writing levels similar to those in United Kingdom, United States, China, Australia, Estonia and Russian cyber entities.