ICT experts at a seminar here on Monday stressed forming a national cyber security committee involving representatives from different ministries and law enforcing agencies to deal with the fast-growing cyber crimes endangering the national security and financial services.
A Computer Incidence Response Team (CIRT) will work under the National Cyber Security Committee to address the security issues and challenges in the public and private sectors, they said.
The World Bank-funded ‘Leveraging ICT for Growth, Employment and Governance’ of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) organised the seminar on ‘Trans-National Economic Crime’.
“With the advancement of digitisation, including launching e-Services and e-Commerce, the cyber criminals may eye Bangladesh to disrupt the Digital Bangladesh programme as enshrined in the Vision-2021,” said project director of LICT for Growth, Employment and Governance Rezaul Karim.
He said digitisation is going on in full swing in the country as the government has undertaken numerous programmes in line with its ‘Digital Bangladesh’ vision. “How ready we are to check cyber crimes, which are taking place inside and outside the country?” he questioned.
Director (in- charge) of National Data Center and Deputy Project Director of LICT Project Tarique M Barkatullah, who made a power-point presentation on ‘Trans-National Economic Crime’, said the alarming rise in cyber crimes has become a threat to the global economy, including Bangladesh. “The world economy incurred a loss US$ 294 billion in 2001 due to cyber crimes,” he said quoting Cyber Crime Magazine.
Taking global scenario into cognisance, he said there is no alternative to building the capacity of IT personnel working in different organisations, including the law enforcing agencies.
Tareque said, “The internet users who opened accounts with the Yahoo and Gmail are sharing important documents and information with each other through e-mails. But, they should know that their documents and information are being leaked and there’s no security of it.”
He proposed launching a training programme for all government employees on Certified Secure Computer User and Specialised (CSCUS) trainings for selected IT professionals to combat cyber crimes.
Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Syed Almas Kabir stressed the need for creating awareness among internet users and parents to remain alert about cyber crimes. “The awareness campaign has to be launched in the family first.”
Team Leader of LICT project Fokhruz Zaman, communication specialist Ajit Kumar Sarkar and project management specialist Sarkar Abul Kalam Azad also spoke at the seminar.
Representatives from police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Defence Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and Bangladesh Bank were present at the seminar.
Source: UNB Connect
