Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative

Launching of the Internet (In) Security Documentary

Wednesday, 23 June 2021 at 17:30

·        Ms. Laura Pula, State Prosecutor

·        Mr. Dejan Jankovic, Deputy Director of the Kosovo Police

·        Dear Ambassadors and heads of international organizations

·        Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of UNDP in Kosovo, I am pleased to welcome you to the Launching of the Internet (In) Security Documentary.

This event is organized in support of Kosovo’s efforts to enhance cybersecurity and ensure security of the society. The conference is within the framework of the “Combatting Cyber Crime in Kosovo” project, which is generously supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pristina.

COVID-19 pandemic has driven governments to explore new opportunities offered by digitalization and technology - to be able to respond to the needs and demands of the public.  Across the Europe and Central Asia region, UNDP has seen a significant increase in governments’ requests to support them in formulating digital strategies and pursuing digital transformation - particularly with regard to public service delivery, business continuity, digital data, connectivity, and tech tools such as robotics, artificial intelligence, SMART solutions, and more.

These are excellent opportunities to advance public sector approaches towards the 21st century.  However, they all come with associated risks - not only with regard to data privacy and ethics - but also with regard to how individuals and organizations could exploit digital tools for their own criminal gains.

COVID-19 has not only disrupted our lives but also significantly increased our digital footprint and exposure to cyber threats. As more transactions, interactions and functions go online, so too does the cyber threat attack surface grow. For us to seize the opportunities afforded by digitalization, we must pay equal heed to protecting ourselves against these threats by also strengthening our cyber defense practices.

The nature of the digital domain is such that we will not be able to prevent every cyber-attack. But if we can detect breaches quickly, deal with them decisively, and design our systems for resilience, we will be much better placed to mitigate the risks while leveraging the opportunities of digitalization.

Cybersecurity today concerns everyone, the question is not if you will be attacked, but when you will be attacked.

Rapid advancement of Internet, the spread of mobile information, and the widespread use of social media have also led to the emergence of cyber violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) as a growing global problem with potentially significant economic and societal consequences.

Evidence shows that worldwide, close to three quarters of women online have been exposed to numerous forms of cyber violence. Different forms of cyber VAWG encompass cyber stalking, cyber harassment, public shaming, hate-speech, virtual human trafficking and many other modalities. VAWG online and offline feed into each other and derive from the same gender-discriminatory structures in society.

Despite the relatively new and growing phenomenon of internet connectivity, it is estimated that one in ten women have already experienced a form of cyber violence since the age of 15. Access to the internet is fast becoming a necessity for economic well-being and is increasingly viewed as a fundamental human right; therefore, it is crucial to ensure that this digital public space is a safe and empowering place for everyone, including women and girls.

Internet (In) Security Documentary was developed as part of “Careful on the Internet!” campaign, which aims to voice various concerns about increasing cybercrime in Kosovo and raise awareness how cyber-attacks pose an existential threat to our security, our economies and our democracies.  That cybersecurity should not only focus on the protection of information, databases, devices, assets, and infrastructures connected to the internet, but also on the protection of connected users.

I invite you to join me in screening the documentary and staying on for the panel discussion afterwards.

Thank you for joining us!