Objectives of cyber-security panel questioned

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Objectives of cyber-security panel questioned
Asina Pornwasin
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Cyber Security Committee met for the first time last week and decided to launch a national effort to regulate online security and implement measures against possible cyber attacks.

The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was established after government websites were hacked several times over recent months. In a high-profile case last month, the PM's Office Ministry site was defaced and a profane phrase about Yingluck posted on it.

A source familiar with online legal cases said no laws supported this committee's operation or even existence, and that it had been set up in direct response to the widely known cyber attacks.

The committee unveiled three key strategies that will focus on the integration of national cyber security, capacity building for rapid response and protection of online infrastructure. These key strategies come with five smaller schemes, which include cooperation between private and public sectors.

The government's cyber-security plan has become a hot topic on social media. Here are some comments from one user:

Poomjit Sirawongprasert, (@moui) president of the Thai Hosting Service Provider Club, said that as a service provider, she needs the committee to urgently put in place measures that control cyber-attacks in collaboration with all the other regulators on a case-by-case basis.

"Cyber attacks do not just cover online financial cheating and content attacks. All cases require different solutions," Poomjit said.

So far, the service providers have no idea what the National Cyber Security Committee's objectives are and how it will prioritise incidents. In addition, there are no details about who the stakeholders are and who will be regulated.

"This committee's measures only seem to focus on critical infrastructure rather than being concerned with small and medium-sized hosting services. If it continues this way, it will not be able to take care of all stakeholders equally," she added.

"Personally, I think this committee's movements are similar to those of the United State's PRISM [a clandestine national security surveillance program operated by the US National Security Agency since 2007]. If this committee's only mission is to collect data over the Internet, be it at any level, it is very doubtful that all users will accept this.

"With projects that affect a lot of people, the government should make a clear announcement to the public and listen to the people as well. If not, they might resist," Poomjit warned.

Apart from her, many others said that they were most concerned about the committee's objectives and how it would exercise regulations that would be fair to one and all. They are concerned that the authorities might use this committee as a means to control those who have anti-government sentiments.


-- The Nation 2013-06-15