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Lebanon Looks to Bolster Cybersecurity Efforts, Boost Economic Growth
Beirut - Lebanon is taking steps to strengthen its cybersecurity capabilities, with a focus on promoting exports and global expansion, strengthening public-private sector collaboration, and expanding the role of security and intelligence services.
Digital Transformation Strategy and National Cybersecurity Strategy
The country’s Digital Transformation Strategy and National Cybersecurity Strategy offer a roadmap for growth, as Lebanon seeks to bounce back from economic challenges. With a greenfield environment for cyber developments, particularly in the public sector, Lebanon is poised to secure its digital future by focusing on citizen-centricity and contingency planning to address local, regional, and international threats.
Cybersecurity General Recommendations
- To improve its position on the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, Lebanon must prioritize cybersecurity, including:
- Fighting cybercrime
- Maintaining good data security standards
- Preventing high-profile breaches
- A national data center is also seen as a necessity to host both public and private sector entities, resolving data residency issues and providing 24/7 operations.
Cooperation Across All Sectors
A public-private community partnership can empower the cybersecurity strategy by enabling collaboration on:
- Licensing
- Upgrades
- Cost-effective management
Locally developed solutions from the private sector and community can bridge the gap in accessing new, affordable solutions while boosting the national digital economy.
Outdated Systems
The economic situation has led to capacity constraints, with many outdated systems (hardware and software) vulnerable to hacking attacks. Both national cybersecurity and digital transformation strategies aim to address this deficiency by realizing a best approach for financial resource allocation.
Governance and Legislation
While the government has approved the Cybersecurity Strategy, efforts must be made to establish the National Commission against Cybercrime and for the Strengthening of Cybersecurity. The commission will monitor the effectiveness of proposed interventions, share data among agencies, and plan further initiatives to address cybercrime impacts.
Cybersecurity Skills and Research
- A shortage in human resources with cyber skills contributes to national vulnerability.
- Capacity building, knowledge sharing, and formal training are essential for cybersecurity provisions in both public and private sectors.
- Higher education institutions can lead the way in directing careers towards filling the skills gap and promoting cybersecurity research and development.
Proactive Approach
Preventing cyberattacks from occurring in the first place is key, leading to a higher benefit, strong continuity of operations, return on investment, and excellent reputation. A nation-wide system capable of orchestrating a coordinated response within a unified framework is essential for combating cyber threats.
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