As chief administrator of the PP-14 Busan, Korea Internet & Security Agency(KISA) run "Information Protection Help Desk" throughout the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference.
The help desk has put up “Cyber Security Real-time Notice Board,” which warns against possible online violations and updates information on ever-changing cyber threats on a daily basis.The Korea IT Times had an interview with Baik Kee-seung, new president of the KISA how to provide 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference attendees with smooth, uninterrupted Internet access.
Q. What is the role of Korea Internet & Security Agency for the successful host of the International Telecommunications Union conference in Busan
A. KISA is currently supporting the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning to successfully host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2014. As a chief administrative organization, we are working hard to foster a high-tech conference environment for the convenience of the participants, and to make the budget execution more transparent and efficient.
KISA is also operating diverse protection system to make the conference safer. We have strengthened the monitoring system to protect against cyber threats such as hacking, smishing and malignant code. During the conference period, we are running “Information Protection Help Desk” to help participants experience the nation’s information protection system. The system, which is run by college volunteers, is offering information about the warning phases of Internet security incident and cyber threats.
Q. What is your new plan on global cooperation as new president of KISA
A. For starters, KISA will expand its partnership with various international organizations including ITU, OECD, ESCAP and APCICT. We will continue to dispatch our specialists, actively participate in international conferences, and propose agendas for common interest in a bid to contribute to the international society.
We will also build up a global information protection community to expand more information exchange. Through this community, members can share best practices of the development of information communications technology and the latest technology policies.
Further, KISA will support promising ICT companies such as start-ups in the area of Internet of Things in a bid to help them to jump into global markets. For this, we will expand currents programs including an innovation center for IoT, global investment programs, Born Global, Global K-Startups, beGLOBAL, overseas accelerators.
Lastly, we plan to have “customized global cooperation” by analyzing technology policies by nations. For instance, KISA will focus on exchanging high-tech information with advanced nations and exploring new markets with emerging nations.
Q: Could you tell us specifically what you’re doing to ensure S. Korea’s successful hosting of the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference
A: KISA, as Chief Administrator of the PP-14 Busan, is throwing its weight behind the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP)’s efforts to pull off the PP-14 Busan. First of all, we are keen on creating a state-of-the-art conference environment to make the PP-14 proceed in a safe and smooth manner. We are also supporting various on-site services for ITU attendees’ convenience. In addition, we will do our best throughout the event to make the PP-14 the most transparent and efficient conference held in the nation in terms of budget execution.
What’s more, we have beefed up cyber monitoring to head off cyber threats (such as hacking attempts, SMiShing, malware, etc.) and put in place an emergency response system. Furthermore, to provide ITU attendees with smooth, uninterrupted Internet access, we will run “Information Protection Help Desk” throughout the PP-14 (from October 20 to November 17). Our Help Desk has put up “Cyber Security Real-time Notice Board,” which warns against possible online violations and updates information on ever-changing cyber threats on a daily basis. By doing so, we look to show off the host nation’s capability to skillfully maintain cyber security. Help Desk is staffed with student volunteers from universities located in Busan and the Yeongnam region. I personally thank them for their services. And I think their participation in such a large-scale intentional event would be a great experience for them as well.
Q: We know that Baik Kee-seung, the fourth President of KISA, recently took office. Let us know KISA’s new plans or future directions for greater intentional cooperation under the new president.
A: First, KISA has been carrying out numerous projects in cooperation with various intentional organizations such as the ITU, the OECD, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP or ESCAP) and the UN Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (UN-APCICT). For greater intentional cooperation, we will send our experts abroad, proactively participate in major intentional conferences and preemptively set the agenda on issues of common interest, with a view to showing our ICT leadership in contributing to the betterment of the intentional community.
Second, we seek to build a global information protection cooperation belt with nations around world in order to expand the foundations for global exchanges in the field of information protection. Based on such a belt, we will share success stories of ICT development and exchange information on latest technology policies so as to continuously reinforce the nation’s competitiveness in information protection technology and policy.
Third, KISA will strenuously assist promising ICT SMEs (e.g. IoT start-ups) in making forays into overseas markets. To that end, we plan to scale up our SME support programs, such as IoT Innovation Center, Born Global (a program designed to attract global investment and promote start-ups), Global K-Start-ups, beGLOBAL, Global Start-up Internship Incubating Program (GSIIP), etc.
Lastly, to make sure our international cooperation projects actually bear fruit, we will thoroughly study technology policies on a country-by-country basis. By doing so, we will carry out country-specific, custom-tailored intentional cooperation strategies to ensure sustainable intentional cooperation. For instance, we will focus on exchanges of latest, cutting-edge technology information when it comes to cooperation with developed nations. As for cooperation with developing nations, we will set our sights on jointly exploring new markets. I hope the PP-14 will serve as a venue where many stake holders and experts join us in brainstorming better ways for closer intentional cooperation.
By Lee Jae-seung (jasonlee@koreaittimes.com)
