OPENGOVWEEK DISCUSSION: "OPEN GOVERNANCE AND INFORMATION SECURITY - ARE THEY COMPATIBLE?"
Journalists and representatives of government institutions held a dialogue on access to open data in the context of cyber-attacks and how to protect Open Governance against cyber and cyber threats, in a press club, held in Chișinău.
Increasing the number of cyber-attacks raises concerns about the security of government information systems in the Republic of Moldova, authorities are taking steps to prevent and counter these threats, stressing that increased vigilance and close collaboration with international partners is needed to protect the country's critical digital infrastructure.
In this context, event participants discussed strategies for managing cyber incidents within government institutions, challenges and solutions for securing government digital platforms.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, Cătălina Plinschi pointed out that a large part of the attacks originate from Russia and the authorities expect them to intensify during the election period.
In the same context, Cristina Jovmir, Head of the Cyber Incident Response Service within the Public Institution "Information Technology and Cyber Security Service", mentioned that currently 30-40 attempts of unauthorized access to government systems are registered daily, aiming at disrupting citizens' access to essential public services.
Director of the e-Governance Agency, Andrei Prisacar assured that the authorities are continuously working to identify and implement solutions to guarantee the security of data and digital platforms..
For his part, the Deputy Director of the Cyber Security Agency, Ion Vintila, pointed out that the institution is currently strengthening its capabilities and that the Law on Cyber Security of the Republic of Moldova, adopted on May 2nd, 2023 and which will enter into force on January 1st, 2025, aims to increase resilience to hybrid threats.
Press Club on "Open Governance and Information Security - are they compatible?" was organised by the e-Governance Agency (EGA), in partnership with the USAID Institutional and Structural Reforms (MISRA) programme and the Independent Press Association, at the initiative of the State Chancellery. The event was also held in the context of Open Governance Week (OpenGovWeek - OGW), marked annually worldwide in the last week of May, and aimed to raise awareness of the importance of the safe use of open data and digital public services in the context of cyber and cyber risks.
