On October 18, BAU International University, in cooperation DC CyberWeek, held a panel discussion titled “Cyber Security in the Public Sector”. CyberWeek, presented by CyberScoop, is the nation’s largest Cyber Security Festival. This city-wide series of events drove thousands of the most influential cyber security leaders to Washington DC for one week of important exchanges on innovation and best practices.
The panelists in this jointly sponsored event on cyber security are all well-known practitioners in this highly specialized sector. They included: Mr Zhiwei Fu, Ms Melike Etem and Mr Burak Sahin, Manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP. Dr. Alkan Soysal, Chair of Information Sciences & Technology Programs, BAU International University, served as Moderator.
The panelists discussed cyber security issues, with special focus on the public sector. They began by highlighting the importance of educating institutions and key staff as to the seriousness of the cyber threat. There are two sides to education in cyber security. One is educating professionals working in this sector, the other one is about educating the general public in order to create keen awareness about cyber threats. This should lead to the creation of defenses and appropriate protocols aimed at minimizing security breaches.
The discussion moved on to the threat landscape in cyber systems. Distinctions were drawn between threats affecting the public and the private sector. This was followed by descriptions on how institutions should manage security threats. This includes appropriate internal rules and the incorporation of best practices, with special focus on prevention.
In the end, all the panelists agreed that, whatever the costs associated with prevention, they are still a bargain compared to the potentially catastrophic damage caused by security breaches.
