Brunei’s Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) has announced that Cyber Security Brunei (CSB) has been operating since August 1, said The Scoop. The statement was made after its website launch.
MTIC minister YB Dato Seri Setia Abdul Mutalib Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yusof said revealed that the agency will be led by an interim commissioner under the Ministry.
The idea for the agency was announced back in January during a closed-door discussion with the Legislative Council (LegCo), according to another report by The Scoop. It came after the MTIC became responsible for science and technology, cybersecurity, and e-government.
At an event at the DST telco headquarters, YB Dato Abdul 0Mutalib said, “The formation of CSB is timely as one of the key strategic enablers in our digital transformation journey towards making Brunei Darussalam a ‘Smart Nation’.”
The CSB will be involved in creating new laws related to cybersecurity. Moreover, it will be responsible for managing three cybersecurity services offered by the government.
This includes the Brunei Computer Emergency Response Team, National Digital Forensic Laboratory, and Cyber Watch Centre. All three services have been operational even before the plan to establish the CSB was announced.
YB Dato Abdul Mutalib is optimistic that the CSB will help create a safer and protected cyberspace.
Moreover, the minister hopes that the creation of the agency “will encourage more agencies, organizations, and users alike to come up with more innovation and participate in digital economy initiatives with more confidence.”
It is also hoped that the youth will be engaged more in cybersecurity activities, and would, later on, consider a career in this area. This is expected to create a more vibrant and sustainable industry for the nation.
Aside from this, the CSB is expected to ease the impact of the pandemic, especially with many companies opting for remote work, which has opened up organizations to various data and security threats that could compromise privacy and operations.
According to YB Dato Abdul Mutalib, “Cybersecurity threats and incidents have become more evident with opportunistic and irresponsible actors launching cybersecurity attacks to disrupt critical services and systems,” in addition to scams and phishing.
The pandemic has also increased the demand for more efficient digital services, from internet services to logistics and other digital platforms. Telemedicine, contact tracing, and artificial intelligence have also become more important in addressing the pandemic.
