Policy
their legislation today could be yours tomorrow
Saudi Arabia recently removed its 2013 ban on internet and voice over internet protocols (VoIP). According to the country’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), “This decision comes in line with recent trends in the ICT sector; the reliance on data revenues (Internet delivery) and added services is the global trend that operators in the Kingdom should take.”
Privacy, Surveillance and Censorship
government isn't always on your side
A leading Chinese messaging app, WeChat, has revealed that it will release the private information of users, including contacts and online searches, to Chinese authorities. WeChat currently boasts 662 million users.
Cryptography experts have found a flaw in the United States National Security Agency’s push for Simon and Speck encryption protocols to become global industry standards: although the NSA maintains these are secure protocols, the organization can, in fact, break them.
China has added messaging app WhatsApp to its list of Facebook products banned in the country. The ban is seen as a measure to limit communication leading up to October 18’s Communist Party congress, which will determine future leadership.
Research and Initiatives
making your world a more cybersecure place
The continent of Africa now has its own internet domain: .africa. Users in Africa see the measure as a step towards “cyber independence” and fostering a continent-wide “internet community”.
The 2017 Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa was held in South Africa, marking the first time it was not hosted by Uganda. This year’s event recognized the second annual International Day for Universal Access to Information.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe recently held its second Internet Governance Multi-Stakeholder Conference. Noted digital security trainer, Natasha Msonza, “There is no digital world and a real world, just as there are no human rights and digital rights. The two are not mutually exclusive.”
Australia plans to build a cybersecurity cooperative research center (CRC) with funding from government, industry, and research partners. The CRC is, in part, a response to the fact that Australia ranks second to last in the world for collaboration.
Cyberattacks
the threats we all face
United Kingdom-based “Big Four” accounting firm Deloitte has suffered a cyberattack. The company reports that it has contacted “each of the very few clients impacted.”
All images credit of BOLDG/Shutterstock.com.
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