Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/871892
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2017 2 News PN LEADERSHIP ELECTION YANNICK PACE MALTA still lacks the specific cy- bersecurity legislation that could create a more secure digital envi- ronment and significantly boost the economy, despite increasing awareness on cybercrime among the population, according to Gege Gatt, vice-president of the Malta IT Law Association (MITLA) and director of software development firm ICON. An investigation carried out by online resource site Website Builder Expert doing the rounds on the internet last week found that Malta was the European Un- ion member state most vulnerable to cybercrime. Local experts in the field have questioned the investigation's methodology, however the find- ings indicated that Malta was particularly vulnerable because, it is claimed, Malta had "a high percentage of open internet con- nections, a lack of international cooperation and the lack of cyber- security legislation". MITLA, a registered NGO dedi- cated to the advancement and development of IT law, recently organised its own summit on cy- bercrime. Gatt said that although legisla- tion exists to manage computer crimes – Malta recently adopted the EU Directive of Security of Network IS – it was still lacking in specific legislation, despite a green paper having been launched by the government in 2015. "It hasn't made its way into our laws and it seems that we don't have a functioning cybersecurity strategy which permeates through all stra- ta of government and the private sector," said Gatt, who suggested Malta needed to be more "ambi- tious" in this regard. "[It] should create a secure place in which digital business and communication can flourish," he added. In addition to better legislation, Gatt also emphasised the need to rope in the private sector into set- ting up an effective cybersecurity framework. He argued that this was essential given that the pri- vate sector owns and runs most of the digital services we use. Gatt also emphasised the need for adhering to international law and best-practice. "Cyberterrorism and cybercrime are rarely a national issue, with criminal participants often simul- taneously present across multiple jurisdictions," Gatt pointed out, adding that better operational skills and an effective round-the- clock and well-funded unit, able to cooperate with European part- ners, were now a must. One area of the private sector that was of particular importance, according to the lawyer and web- entrepreneur, were small and me- dium enterprises (SMEs). "In terms of cybersecurity, SMEs are often the weakest link in the chain and may be hugely vulner- able to threats," he said. "The government should consider in- troducing grants to assist small companies to boost their cyberse- curity knowledge and processes." He said that progress had been made in recent years, however it has been slow, as most companies continued to "under-budget" on security. Flawed methodology Inspector Timothy Zammit from the police's Cybercrime Unit insisted that the Website Builder investigation did not paint an ac- curate picture of the situation across Europe, adding that, in ad- dition to Malta placing last, there were a few other rankings that surprised him. He pointed out that the investi- gation relied on data from four dif- ferent reports that was collected over a period of three years. "The Eurobarometer [survey] quoted was published in 2015, meaning it contained data collected in 2014," he said, while data for the number of malware encounters, for exam- ple, was from 2017. He added that the reports were subject to interpretation, and in addition, the methodology used was simply "adding the scores from each one and calculating an average". Zammit insisted that the Maltese population, due to its willingness to experiment and try new tech- nologies, was not as vulnerable to cybercrime as one might think. He pointed to the WannaCry ransomware – malicious software that is able to infect computers and make all the data on it, inaccessible – which he said had spread across Europe, but which had not made it to Malta. Zammit explained that in this particular case, the software was only able to infect older comput- ers, and the fact that many people in Malta use up-to-date technolo- gies added "a degree of resilience". He said that in a certain sense, a high proportion of cybercrime dealt with by local authorities in- volved people committing stand- ard forms of crime, such as threat- ening someone or damaging their reputation, through the internet. Much like a conman, who might portray a false image of himself for victims to trust them, criminals on the internet similarly try to exploit people's curiosity, or them making snap decisions, he explained. Asked whether he felt that the country needed better cybersecu- rity legislation, Zammit said that the cybercrime unit had made its own recommendations to the At- torney General, adding that they were only minor suggestions since the current repertoire of laws did not contain any worrying lacunae. He noted that the cybercrime unit, which is currently a nine- man operation, would be grow- ing significantly over the coming years, with more investment being brought in for an eventual over- haul. Anti-virus software for your phone Zammit said that with technol- ogy constantly developing, law en- forcement would need to adapt. "We need to re-invent ourselves to do what we have managed to do with computers on other devices," he said, noting that with the intro- duction of the Internet of Things – where everyday appliances like fridges, water heaters, and many others are remotely connected through the internet – the targets for cybercrime would be increasing significantly. "One of the main issues that we're seeing now for example, is that malware is now going from computers to hand held devices," said Zammit. "If I were to go out in the street and ask people whether they have an anti-virus on their computer most would say yes, but if I ask about their phone, it's a different story." He emphasised that nowadays, people's phones likely contained more valuable information than their home computer did. Ultimately, he said, significant improvements had been made and it was now important to re- main vigilant and to "keep up the momentum" through more invest- ment and development. Malta still lacks specific cybersecurity legislation THE two PN leadership contenders have expressed differing perspectives on Malta's economic future in their latest pre-electoral salvo, with Adrian Delia pledging to hold the government to account for families who are struggling to make ends meet and young cou- ples who can't get a foothold on the property ladder, and Chris Said emphasising the need for a holistic plan for the next 10-20 years. Said has promised a "robust economic plan" in two stages: the period 2022 run- ning to 2030, and subsequently from 2030 to 2040. He emphasised the importance of strengthening and modernising the iGam- ing sector, but also that of utilising other un- tapped sources and economic niches. "This economic planning also needs to take into account what foreign employment we need to import to our shores and what positions we should reserve for local talent – before the system becomes uncontrollable," Said warned. On his part, Delia promised to hold the government to account in the case of public sector workers who have lost overtime and allowances to favouritism. He vowed that together with the party, he would be "these workers' shield". Likewise he would stand up for the self- employed businessmen who were driven to bankruptcy "because of the incompetence of a government whose administration of EU rules had allowed low quality foreign produce and services into the market, just as long as they're cheaper". "The government may have gotten away with previous success it inherited," said Chris Said, "but this will quickly turn sour if left on its own." "The economy will not grow or remain sus- tainable on its own – it needs the right tools, incentives and expertise to continue yielding results. Long-term planning is practically non-existent bar an unsustainable passport selling scheme shrouded in controversy. As Leader of Partit Nazzjonalista, I will commit myself to prioritizing like never before the implementation of a long term plan for our micro and macro economic pillars." The two contenders agreed that something must be done to rein in the out of control property market, with Delia promising to hold the Labour government responsible for the fact that young couples are increasingly unable to qualify for property loans because their work conditions "are continuously be- ing chipped away". Said warned that this situation must be tackled quickly "because of the financial strains it is putting on young couples and individuals seeking a first property or new home, as in some cases the costs for property purchases and rentals have become entirely unsustainable." Surprisingly, only Delia made any men- tion of tackling corruption. He announced that an Opposition PN under his leadership would also hold the government responsible for "the rot that has set in society's values be- cause of institutional corruption the govern- ment has introduced." He promised to hold the government to account for failing to seriously tackle cor- ruption "with Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat, instead of being the prime mover against corruption, rewarding those who had been caught holding bank accounts and secret off- shore companies." Malta's economic future takes centre stage MONSIGNOR Fortunato Mizzi passed away on Friday, aged 88, the Nationalist Party confirmed in a statement issued to pay tribute to his memory. Mizzi was the only son of Nerik Mizzi, the for- mer PN leader who also served as prime minister, for three months. He died in office. According to the PN, Fortunato Mizzi – named after his grandfather and PN founder Fortunato Mizzi – died of natural causes, surrounded by friends. He lived in the same Valletta residence which his grandfather and father also lived in. Monsignor Fortunato Mizzi, son of Nerik Mizzi, passes away