Global leaders call for unity against cybersecurity threats

02/10/2025 03:19 AST

Day one of the Global Cybersecurity Forum Annual Meeting concluded here with calls for governments and the private sector to secure critical infrastructure and build international agreements against mounting cybersecurity threats.

Macky Sall, the former president of Senegal, told Arab News at the GCF: "Cybersecurity is a global challenge. It ignores borders.

"So if you want to have global action and be positive, we should bring together countries, states and nations and the private sector who are leading the big platform, what we call Big Tech."

"(The) Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with this initiative, launched in 2020, the Global Cybersecurity Forum, is showing the way, and the Kingdom invests a lot to fight terrorism and to develop capabilities," he added.

Now in its fifth edition, the forum aims to continue strengthening the safety and resilience of cyberspace by advancing international collaboration.

The forum announced the Global Initiative for Capacity Building in Cyberspace, a major plan to scale cohesive advances in cyberspace, and strengthen online resilience.

The new initiative aims to deliver accelerated capacity development at scale in areas of greatest need through expert-led workshops, training and education programs, international simulations and cyber drills, and policy development support.

Also planned is collaboration around research and development to enhance the skills of beneficiaries worldwide, including policy practitioners, law enforcement personnel, and cyber diplomats.

Implementation will be led by Saudi Arabia's National Cybersecurity Authority, Saudi Information Technology Co., and the GCF, in partnership with UN agencies.

The plan is to include the UN Development Program, UN Office on Disarmament Affairs, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UN Interregional Crime and Justice Institute, UN Institute for Disarmament Research, and the International Telecommunication Union, alongside Interpol.

In an interview with Arab News, Jurgen Stock, former secretary-general of Interpol, said: "GCF is a wonderful and a needed platform, a global platform to deal with something that is global by nature, which is cybercrime."

"All the threats related to our digital environment, which I mean, almost since a couple of years, have only shown one direction.

"The numbers, unfortunately, are going up, and now with new technologies coming up, artificial intelligence first and foremost, of course, this threat is not going away."

"And we have to deal and to address that threat in a collective way. No country, no region, no company, no government can fight that in isolation. We need strong partnerships. And I think this is exactly what GCF is about."

Stock praised Saudi Arabia for "its efforts in building partnerships with law enforcement, with regulators, telecommunication companies, IT security companies, and finally also law enforcement help closing these gaps as quickly as possible."

According to the GCF 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Report there is a worldwide shortage of 2.8 million cybersecurity professionals and skills gaps reported by 43 percent of information security executives.

The report highlights the urgency of a coordinated global effort to bridge persistent cybersecurity capacity gaps.

Speaking at a panel titled "Against the Odds: Gaining Consensus Amid Complexity," Croatia's former president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic called for stronger regulation of AI and greater information sharing.

Sall urged action to bridge divides between developed and developing countries, while former US cyber director Chris Inglis emphasized the importance of building digital infrastructure that delivers real benefits for citizens.

Global leaders at the forum emphasized the importance of future-proofing international agreements, closing the digital gap between nations, and fostering collaboration that delivers tangible benefits.

Arab Times