Borneo Bulletin-Aug 15
Brunei Darussalam continues to take the threat of cybercrime very seriously and undertake significant efforts to ensure the protection of the nation and its people.
This was stated by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud while delivering his speech at the opening of the 11th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference (11th CAPGC) yesterday.
Currently being organized by the Attorney General’s Chambers of Brunei Darussalam at The Rizqun International Hotel, the conference is themed ‘Enhancing Capabilities and Cooperation in Addressing Cybercrime’.
“We live in an increasingly interconnected world where technology has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, and where the promise of the “Internet of Things” (IOT) has begun to manifest itself in more and more of our data enabled devices.
“Technology and the Internet have fundamentally changed the way we live and interact, bringing about a digital revolution that offers immense opportunities for social-economic growth and development.
“The advances of this revolution however, have also led to the evolution of new generation of threats and risks, as criminals, terrorists and extremists seek to exploit the borderless world of the Internet for their own nefarious purposes,” the minister said.
“Crime in cyberspace is attractive due to its swift, anonymous and borderless nature, and we now see an increase in fraud and money laundering carried out through the online technology.
“The use of the Internet by terrorists and extremists to spread their propaganda and facilitate recruitment is also on the rise, particularly through social media channels,” he added.
According to the minister, “Brunei Darussalam too has seen its share of threats posed by cybercriminals and those seeking to promote terrorist and extremist agendas. “Our countries must be vigilant against new cyber threats that are constantly emerging. The proliferation of misinformation and confusion through fake news on the Internet and its associated media has been identified as a new form of cybercrime that may endanger social cohesion and affect national security in many countries.
“Nowadays, human creativity has been exploited to distort truth and create false stories with the aim to deliberately misinform the public for various interests and purposes. Today, our biggest challenge is to guarantee the credibility and reliability of the sources of information. Without a doubt, fake news is a threat not only to the government, but also to society’s trust in each other,” he said.
To counter this, the minister advocated the need for education on all levels on the responsible use of digital technology, the enhancement of data security to ensure that the public becomes less liable to become victims of Internet scams as well as the need for a “collective ASEAN way” to engage media providers since ASEAN can leverage on established communication links to combat the misuse and abuse of data.
Read more at https://borneobulletin.com.bn/minister-calls-for-vigilance-against-new-cyber-threats/
