Cibersecurity comitee presents report to the comission of future challenges of the senate

During the activity it was presented the work of the subseven comitees, the which gave as a general result the need of a robust politic, the profundization of the digital transformation of the state, the need of a change management and the creation of appropiate governance, while also promoting education in cibersecurity. Francisco Méndez -Vice president of Chiletec- Participated leading the work of the subcomitee of interoperability and digital identity

This Monday, the Cybersecurity Committee of the Senate's “Challenges of the Future, Science, Technology and Innovation” Commission presented its report after almost a year of work.

The creation of the Cybersecurity Committee in the Commission was an initiative promoted by Senator Ximena Órdenes and Senator Kenneth Pugh, in order to make visible the cybersecurity issues already raised in the report of the Chile Digital Strategy 2035, which was carried out under the auspices of the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.

The roundtable, coordinated by Michael Heavey, formally began on July 7, 2022, in a special session of the Future Challenges Commission in which 140 specialists from academia, industry, public services, police, Armed Forces, civil organizations and other professionals focused on issues related to cybersecurity, digital transformation and public policies, who accepted the invitation to participate and collaborate with their time and effort.

During the activity, the work of the 7 sub-tables was presented, where Francisco Méndez - Vice President of CHILETEC - led together with Carla Illanes the Interoperability and Digital Identity Table. “The work that was presented, involved a personal commitment of many meetings, readings and conversations, with the sole purpose of contributing to this initiative. Thus exemplifying the principle that governs those of us who work in the field: in cybersecurity we do not compete, we collaborate,” said Méndez.

The sub-tables gave as a general result the need for a robust Policy, the deepening of the digital transformation of the State, the need for change management and the necessary creation of appropriate governance, while promoting education and training in cybersecurity.

Conclusions agreed upon by the 7 Sub-Tables

• Promote a culture of cybersecurity that helps to face contingencies in the public and private sectors and protect the safety of people in cyberspace.

• Consider the promotion of cyber hygiene or digital hygiene that allows the creation of habits and good practices in the handling of computer systems and mobile devices throughout the population, especially in public institutions and the educational environment.

• Promote collaboration and public-private alliances for a better exchange of information and knowledge in matters related to cybersecurity, but also foster the creation of knowledge associated with these matters. Collaboration in cybersecurity is not an obstacle to competition in the markets.

• Incorporate an age focus in cybersecurity, bearing in mind that depending on age, the interests, characteristics of the measures and levels of security to be promoted change.

• To advance in the formulation and promulgation of an international policy for cyberspace.

• Evaluate the permanent need to adapt the current institutional framework to consider the challenges of being immersed in this ecosystem, as well as the protection of assets related to information systems, processing, data and networks. To advance in a holistic vision of insertion in cyberspace, recognizing and adopting international standards.

• Strengthen digital identity so that the identification, authentication and validation processes ensure that the information accessed is only by those who are authorized to do so (who they say they are).

• To strengthen the electronic signature and its universal application.

• Establish the use of the universal digital domicile, where the person can be notified or can maintain his or her information relationship with the State. - Advance in the development of the universal medical record.

• To consolidate in Chile a center for the development of cybernetic capabilities that will be a reference in the region in advanced research in cybersecurity matters in its various areas of specialization.

• Facilitate the development of the industry of science and technology-based products and services in the area of cybersecurity in Chile to help position the country in innovation, applied research and technological development in cybersecurity.

• Enable a shared infrastructure that allows research, development and testing of algorithms/models/products of the cybersecurity segment for different industries optimizing resources.

• Position Chile as a leader in TSI in the 5 dimensions of the Oxford CMM.

• Execute programs to identify and develop cyber talent starting at age 14.

• To develop digital skills by providing certified competencies for students of all ages from 18 years and older, without any prior academic training being a prerequisite for entry, using the French methodology of School 42.

• Mejorar las ofertas educativas de ciberseguridad, estableciendo programas de formación y acreditación de competencias, de acuerdos a estándares nacionales e internacionales, para carreras técnicas y universitarias.

• Improve cybersecurity educational offerings, establishing training programs and accreditation of competencies, in accordance with national and international standards, for technical and university careers.

• Encourage the incorporation of women into cybersecurity careers to address the existing gender gap.

• To annually award outstanding women in Cybersecurity.

• To annually recognize outstanding emerging leaders in Cybersecurity.

• Incentivize the training and retention of cybersecurity specialists to support the State, its services, and economic actors in general.

• Explore coordination, and resources to develop enhanced cybersecurity education frameworks, with budget and spending based on national demand dynamically and with resources from the budget act.

• Identify existing instances where the proposed governance classifications can be adjusted and operate during a transition period, installing governance issues in the specific agenda of the instance and articulating them with concrete objectives and actions, with the intention of generating the required practice and culture, in the meantime, with the permanent capacities installed.

• Promote a National Interoperability Law, which generates the administrative tools and resources to promote an Interoperability model for the State of Chile, which considers an Interoperability architecture based on standards that have been proven to be used internationally, and considering foreign policy aspects in order to facilitate cross-border interoperability. This law will regulate the administrative aspects related to the exchange of information between State institutions digitally and in real time, in strict compliance with the Data Protection and Cybersecurity laws.

• Create the National Interoperability Agency, under the Ministry of the Interior, to articulate Interoperability, assuming the necessary governance to manage the processes of change, and the generation of standards and regulations.