The Minister of Digital Transformation, Stefan Andonovski, during his appearance on "Topic of the Day" on TV Sitel's News, discussed about the current challenges related to cybersecurity in the country. Announcing the Digital Summit of the Western Balkans, which will take place this week on October 1 and 2 in Skopje, Andonovski spoke about the importance of the topic of cybersecurity, which will be represented in three panels and one speech by Alexander Poti, Director of the Cybersecurity Agency of Ukraine.
He emphasized that: "We will never be able to say that we are one hundred percent cyber secure, but citizens should feel at ease because we are working hard to monitor the situation and respond to challenges in a timely manner."
The Minister emphasized the importance of the Law on Cybersecurity, which was first adopted this year and has already entered the second phase of implementation. The law provides for phased implementation over a period of 3 to 4 years, both in the private and public sectors.
“The Government Center for Cyber Incident Response is being established, located in the Ministry of Digital Transformation, which actively monitors and analyzes every potential incident,” Andonovski said.
The key principle of the new law, according to the minister, is that: “Every institution has an obligation to take care of its own ICT systems, just as it takes care of other segments of its functioning.”
Andonovski warned that cyber attacks are a real threat and that they are part of the broader picture of hybrid threats, which can be led by both state and non-state actors, including business interests. The goal of such attacks, according to him, is to create fear, panic and distrust in institutions.
“I hope that we will defend ourselves against such attacks, but we must be aware that cyber attacks have become a serious instrument in hybrid warfare,” he added.
The Minister has urged all institutions to assume their responsibility, while the Ministry of Digital Transformation remains committed to protecting and supporting all government bodies in advancing cybersecurity in accordance with citizens' expectations and legal obligations.
Link to the Minister's guest appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1fDyvDL3Y4
