The government is investing in strengthening cybersecurity by establishing a new Government Centre for Cyber ​​Incident Response, announced Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski.
"We are opening a Government Centre for Cyber ​​Incidents, through which we will be able to monitor in real time what is happening in the field of cybersecurity and respond to potential threats in a timely manner," stressed Minister Andonovski.
In response to a question about the significance of the second session of the Strategic Dialogue with the United States, which will be held next week in Washington, and at which Minister Andonovski will be part of the Macedonian delegation, he emphasized that this is an extremely important diplomatic and strategic process for the country.
"We will be the only European country to hold a second session of the Strategic Dialogue this year. I can say that we already have excellent cooperation with the United States in the areas that I cover, which are digitalization and cybersecurity. During my visit in January, at the highest level in the State Department, we discussed issues related to cooperation with Macedonia, challenges in cybersecurity, digital infrastructure and the exchange of information on potential risks in cyberspace. I expect that this Strategic Dialogue will yield specific points that will mean improving opportunities for Macedonian citizens, for the Macedonian economy, as well as for cooperation between institutions, with very concrete benefits for both sides," said Andonovski.
The minister pointed out that cyber-attacks are increasingly being used as a tool for waging asymmetric wars, both by state and non-state actors. This, as he said, means targeted attacks in cyberspace against critical infrastructure, which includes not only civilian infrastructure, but also healthcare, education and other key areas.
"With funds from the European Union and national co-financing, we have invested around 1.5 million euros in the new Government Cyber ​​Incident Response Center, which will be opened soon. The centre will enable real-time monitoring and a rapid and coordinated response to cyber-attacks," Andonovski said.
With this centre, as the minister announced, institutions will gain a stronger and more efficient capacity to deal with cyber threats and incidents, which have become increasingly frequent and sophisticated in recent years.
During his visit, Minister Andonovski also spoke about the Electronic Archive and Document Management (eDMS), as well as the new electronic services on the National Services Portal, which aim to make the everyday lives of citizens easier, increase the efficiency of institutions and contribute to faster, simpler and more accessible public services.