Moldova’s Plan for Cybersecurity Development

Overview

On November 22, 2018, the Moldovan Parliament approved Decision No. 257, aiming to develop a comprehensive plan for cybersecurity in the country.

Coordinating Council for Information Security

As part of this plan, the National Security and Information Service (SIS) will establish a Coordinating Council for ensuring information security. The council will be responsible for overseeing cybersecurity measures in the public sector and work closely with government institutions, private ICT companies, civil society organizations, and media outlets to ensure effective implementation.

Transposing EU Directive 2016/1148

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation has initiated the procedure for drafting a law transposing EU Directive 2016/1148 on measures for a common high level of security of networks and information systems across the Union. The draft law will be based on best practices in network and information systems security, currently being examined by a working group created by MEI Order No. 54 of March 4, 2019.

National Mechanism for Monitoring and Reporting

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation has also developed a national mechanism for monitoring and reporting the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, as requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration on January 9, 2020.

Governmental Cyber Security Incident Response Centre (CERT-Gov)

The government has designated the Institute of Public-Private Partnership “ITSEC” as the Governmental Cyber Security Incident Response Centre (CERT-Gov), responsible for preventing, analyzing, identifying, and responding to cyber incidents at the governmental level. The CERT-Gov will serve as a single point of contact and reporting mechanism for departmental CERT-type structures.

Law No. 294

Law No. 294 of December 22, 2016 was developed and adopted to complete Article 118 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Moldova No. 122-XV of March 14, 2003. The law aims to facilitate the examination of computer systems or data storage media with the consent of the owner or controller.

National Cybersecurity Strategy of Moldova

Over the past decade, Moldova has developed several country strategies and programs for the development of the information society at national level, in accordance with European and international forums’ recommendations. The first cybersecurity strategy was adopted by Government Decision No. 811 of October 29, 2015.

The National Cybersecurity Strategy of Moldova aims to ensure cyber resilience and multi-participative administration, as well as shared responsibility for ensuring cyber security. The estimated costs for obtaining the expected results totalled on the shares within each objective of the Program for 2016-2020 were as follows:

• Secure processing, storage, and access of data, including public interest data.
• Promote cybersecurity awareness and education among citizens.
• Develop a national incident response plan.

The development of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is crucial for ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, as well as promoting the country’s economic growth and development.