ITU's GCA to be housed in Malaysia

BANGKOK, THAILAND: ITU concluded an agreement with the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber-Terrorism (IMPACT) to operationalise the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA).

The collaboration between ITU and IMPACT is aimed at building synergies to provide:

Real-time analysis, aggregation and dissemination of global cyber threat information

Early warning system and emergency response to global cyber threats

Training and skills development on the technical, legal and policy aspects of cybersecurity

The agreement is in line with the decision of the World Summit on the Information Society to build security and confidence in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). The Summit also called for the coordination of multi-stakeholder implementation of information exchange, creation of knowledge, sharing of best practices, and assistance in developing public/private partnerships.

The memorandum of understanding was signed in Bangkok during ITU Telecom Asia 2008 by ITU secretary-general Hamadoun Touré and chairman of the IMPACT management board Mohammad Noor Amin.

The ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) is an ITU framework for international cooperation for governments, international law enforcement authorities, the private sector, international organizations and civil society to make cyberspace more secure in an increasingly networked information society.

The international effort is focused on strengthening five areas:

Legal framework

Technical measures

Organisational structures

Capacity building

International cooperation

While the GCA will be housed at the IMPACT Centre, ITU will have a 'virtual showcase' in Geneva of the early warning system, crisis management and real-time analysis of global cyber threats. IMPACT initiatives, such as the Global Response Centre as well as training and skills development, security assurance, research, and international cooperation will be conducted under the auspices of the GCA.

The IMPACT centre is being readied on a 7-acre estate near Kuala Lumpur with infrastructure built over 58,000 square feet.