Defence and Internal Affairs Committee Chairperson Marija Obradovic opened the public hearing pleased that the topic of cyber security, to be discussed at the public hearing, had generated so much public interest. Cyberspace is generally believed to comprise the Internet, telecommunication networks and computer systems, but cyberspace is also a social phenomenon that includes people who affect the technical systems in many different ways, as well as the enormous amounts of data generated in the interaction, stressed Obradovic.

“Cyberspace is slowly but surely becoming an integral part of life and society. The Internet is becoming the dominant form of information, and the use of administrative and banking on-line services is becoming more wide-spread. What remains basically invisible to the citizens, though it has a significant impact on all of us, is that the operation of increasing numbers of factories offering us the services our daily life depends on also hinges on the Internet. We also have to take into consideration the risks of cyberspace, which means creating the institutional prerequisites for efficient responses to them”, added Obradovic.

She reminded the participants that the citizens and the economy are the target of cyber-attacks every day without even being aware that these can damage networks such as the energy system, landlines and mobile telephony, the finance sector or electronic administration system. These attacks in cyberspace pose new challenges for the security structure and it is the duty of the National Assembly and the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee to draw attention to the importance of a systemic approach to the challenge, and the objective of today’s public hearing is also to recognize the experiences of relevant social factors, in order to shape a strategic and policy framework for cyber security, especially since Serbia is not a novice in the field, concluded Obradovic.

The first session of the public hearing focused on the chief cyberspace risks to the security of the state, economy and individuals, risk mapping, attackers and targets of cyber-attacks, the need for a multi-partner model in building a strategic approach to cyber security and democratic governance challenges of cyber security.

Gorazd Bozic, Head of the Slovenian national Computer Emergency Response Team and member of the Executive Board of the European Agency for Network and Information Security, briefed the participants of the public hearing on risk mapping, attackers and targets of cyber-attacks, with a special focus on how organisations in Slovenia and the EU tackle these risks.

Anne-Marie Buzatu, Deputy Head of Operations of DCAF, spoke of the democratic governance challenges of cyber security and the role of national parliaments, National Assembly and its relevant committees included, in the matter of cyber security. She emphasised the importance of the National Assembly’s control role, stressing that a special committee should be set up to deal with cyber security in active cooperation with the private and non-governmental sector. Sava Savic, Assistant Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, informed the participants of the public hearing about information security in Serbia.

The second session of the public hearing was dedicated to the cyber security situation in Serbia, accompanied by a presentation of the legal and institutional framework necessary to ensure cyber security in Serbia, policies and strategies important for the field and activity of some of the state authorities.

Goran Matic, Director of the Office of the Council for National Security and Confidential Data Protection, Branko Stamenkovic, Special Prosecutor for High-Tech Crime, Slobodan Nedeljkovic Assistant Minister of Interior, and Dragan Mladenovic of the Serbian Army’s Telecommunication and IT Directorate, spoke on these topics.

The third session answered the questions of why and how to proceed. Arto Rӓty, Permanent Secretary at the Finnish Ministry of Defence, Milan Nikolic, Corporate Security Manager at Telenor Serbia and Montenegro, and Vladimir Radunovic, Diplo Centre and Diplo Foundation Cyber Security and E-Diplomacy Programme Director, spoke about the importance of cyber security for the development of the country, economy and private sector and possible models for overcoming the current challenges.

The objective of the public hearing was to inform the participants on the specificities of the cyber security threats in Serbia and the significance of cyber security for the overall security in the country, to deliberate on the Government’s policies and efforts to ensure cyber security for the economy and the citizens, as well as consider the National Assembly’s potential role in the development of policies in the field.

Concluding the public hearing, Defence and Internal Affairs Committee Chairperson Marija Obradovic said that it was marked by the same keywords, same conclusions and same messages, that there have been no discordant notes no matter what country or sector the speakers haled from. “As a parliamentarian, I feel this to be an encouraging message that I can count on all the sectors to support the parliamentarians in the adoption of laws regulating the field”, concluded Chairperson Obradovic.

The public hearing was organised with the support of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF).

Presentations from the public hearing:

Presentation by Gorazd Bozic

Presentation by Sava Savic

Presentation by Goran Matic

Presentation by Branko Stamenkovic

Presentation by Slobodan Nedeljkovic

Presentation by Dragan Mladenovic

Presentation by Arto Rӓty

Presentation by Milan Nikolic

Presentation by Vladimir Radunovic