Taylor advises CTO member countries to centralize databases

ITRealms:

The Secretary-General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Mr. Shola Taylor has advised member nations to centralize their databases in the urge to increase trust of the citizens, especially in a developing economy like Nigeria, reports ITRealms.

Speaking at a press parley of day-one of a three-day Digital Broadcasting Africa Forum 2016 in Lagos, Taylor said that centralizing databases of the government, mostly in Africa has tendency to earn citizens trust.

Stressing that the less of the disjointed database are harmonised, the more trust a country gets from the citizens.

In addition, he said, CTO is concerned that most African countries lack the expertise, so the organization is providing training to affiliate countries through some institutions on cyber security.

This, he said, helps the benefiting countries to have a structured framework to combat cybercrimes.

ITRealms recalls that the forum, which commences Wednesday at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, would last till Friday this week, with focus on “The pan-Africa transition: Achieving digital migration success.”

While some of the highlights include session on “Broadcast Technology Trends, Next Generation, Entertainment, Creation of Local Content, Digital Migration and Spectrum Allocation, Financial and Business Considerations, The consumer Perspective, Digital Radio, Achieving Digital Inclusion, and Financial and Business Considerations.”

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

CTO, NBC bring 3-day Digital Broadcasting Africa forum to Lagos

ITRealms:

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) have concluded plans to stage a three-day Digital Broadcasting Africa Forum 2016 to Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the nation, reports ITRealms.

The forum, which commences tomorrow, Wednesday at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, would last till Friday this week.

According to the Communications Team at Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), the event comes with the theme: The pan-Africa transition: Achieving digital migration success.

ITRealms reports that some of the highlights include a joint CTO and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) meet the press session, just as topics such as “Broadcast Technology Trends, Next Generation, Entertainment, Creation of Local Content, Digital Migration and Spectrum Allocation, Financial and Business Considerations, The consumer Perspective, Digital Radio, Achieving Digital Inclusion, and Financial and Business Considerations” would top agenda.

Robert Hayman, Manager, International Events had informed ITRealms that the event promises to build on the successful Digital Broadcasting Switchover Forum Africa events that have taken place over the last decade, and recognises the changes that have taken place in broadcasting during that time.

These events have helped policy makers, regulators and operators from the African broadcasting and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors to map out their strategies for digital switchover.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Op

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Four-year agenda: Cybersecurity tops CTO priority for Commonwealth countries - Taylor

ITRealms:

The secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) Mr. Shola Taylor has said that cybersecurity is on top of the priority list of agenda the organization has for Commonwealth countries for the next four years, reports ITRealms.

Speaking recently to over 100 government officials and industry executives who took part BT-hosted Commonwealth Cybersecurity Forum 2016 in London, Taylor said that working with member countries on making cyberspace safer and resilient is a top priority for the London-based organisation over the next four years.

Mr Taylor made it clear that while “the open, decentralised nature of cyberspace has empowered individuals, fostered innovation and driven development, it also presents dangers for its users,” hence, cyberspace could be used for criminal activities by targeting individuals through identity fraud, targeting the vulnerable through child exploitation, targeting communities through extremism and even targeting whole countries, and was quick to add that the experiences of Estonia in 2007 being one example.

“This year’s event is our opportunity to understand new forms of cyberthreats and cybercrime and learn about new and effective ways to mitigate or eradicate them, particularly through international cooperation. With this in mind, I am pleased to announce here today that our Council has just approved our 2016 - 2020 strategic plan which makes cybersecurity one of our top priorities”, Taylor said.

ITRealms reports that CTO, is already working with a number of Commonwealth countries such Botswana, Cameroon, Fiji and Uganda to help develop their national cybersecurity strategies, and the challenges and outcomes of this ongoing work were presented at the London event.

Taylor said that key issues addressed at the conference include economic growth and innovation in cyberspace; legislative frameworks; data privacy and security risks; defending and protecting critical information infrastructure, including space communication infrastructure; international cooperation, including capacity and trust building; and combating cyberterrorism among others.

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Shola Taylor seeks common voice among CTO countries

ITRealms

The Secretary-General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Shola Taylor, has pledged to ensure that the organisation plays a greater role in coordinating the views of all member countries at treaty meetings convened by the ITU, ITRealms reports.

Taylor made this revelation at a meeting in Geneva recently with the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Houlin Zhao.

The CTO boss said, “Coordinating the views of Commonwealth countries and agreeing on common objectives in advance of key international ICT decision-making meetings is an area where the CTO can do a lot more. Deliberations at conferences convened by the ITU, such as the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), the World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly (WTSA), the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC), or the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) can be made more effective with prior consultations among Commonwealth countries.”

“Meeting with Secretary-General Zhao was an opportunity to share first-hand with the ITU my vision for the CTO. And we are starting immediately, with a Commonwealth pre-WRC-15 meeting to take place in London on 7 - 9 October 2015, and which will be honoured by the presence of Festus Daudu, Chair-designate of WRC-15,” Taylor explained.

Welcoming Mr Taylor’s commitment to supporting global consensus efforts on ICTs, Secretary-General Zhao said he looked forward to both organisations working even more closely in the future.

 “The CTO has been a very engaged and active partner of ITU for many years, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to further strengthen this bond. The Commonwealth is an important and very diverse global group of countries, and we welcome the opportunity of ITU helping its members realise their connectivity goals in collaboration with the CTO and the Commonwealth Secretariat, as will be reported to the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta in just a few weeks. Our relationship with the CTO will be a cornerstone of those efforts,” he said.

The two secretaries-general, ITRealms learnt, also discussed ongoing initiatives by the two organisations and agreed to collaborate more closely, including on regional initiatives, evens as the CTO plans to maintain its role in international fora, such as with the recent 2015 WSIS Forum held in May during which the CTO formally called for a sustainable development goal for universally accessed and universally used ICTs.

The CTO, ITRealms informs, is the oldest and largest Commonwealth membership organisation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and uses its experience and expertise to support members in using ICTs to deliver effective development interventions that enrich, empower, equalise and emancipate people within the Commonwealth and beyond

Cyriacus Nnaji/ED,OPs

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!
Pix:Shola Taylor

CTO, Fiji Republic partner on cybersecurity

ITRealms:

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and the Republic of Fiji are partnering for the development of a cybersecurity strategy for Fiji which could be used as a model framework for other Pacific island nations, reports ITRealms.

This was part of the outcome of the CTO Forum 2015 held in Nairobi, Kenya on 14 - 16 September 2015.

ITRealms reports that the growth of cyber criminality and cyberterrorism has become a major concern for the global community, and countries are adopting different strategies to address this, just as Nigeria last May 15, signed its Cybercrime Law into effect.

Honourable Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the Attorney-General and Minister for Communications Fiji Republic, noted that they are committed to doing their part to ensure a safer cyberspace for all.

“Working with the CTO will assist us in establishing the right national frameworks and in allocating the right level of resources to address criminal activities in cyberspace that originate in our country and collaborate with the international community as needed,” he said.

Sayed-Khaiyum further reiterated that as the regional hub for Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) in the South Pacific, it was important for Fiji to share its experiences and knowledge with its neighbours to help build regional capacity in cybersecurity.

ITRealms reports that CTO has been assisting other Commonwealth countries such as Botswana and Cameroon in adopting their national cybersecurity strategy. 

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

BT to host the Commonwealth Cybersecurity Forum 2015

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Plans have been advanced by British Telecoms (BT) to host the Commonwealth Cybersecurity Forum 2015 organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) under the theme “Securing Cyberspace for Social and Economic Development” reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Confirming the event will take place in London between April 22 and 24, 2015 at BT’s headquarters in London, to DigitalSENSE Business News ,the Secretary-General of the CTO, Professor Tim Unwin, said  that they were delighted that BT has agreed to partner for the second consecutive year for this important event.  

“Over the last few years, cybersecurity has rapidly become a key issue for governments across the world, requiring them to take action to protect citizens, infrastructure, intellectual property and cyberspace from cyberthreats. This event will contribute to building capacity among key decision makers from across the Commonwealth and beyond to tackle cybercrime in a holistic and concerted manner.” said Professor Unwin.

Also commenting, the President of BT Security, Mark Hughes, said in a press statement available to DigitalSENSE Business News

 “Cybersecurity is critically important and BT is pleased to be hosting the Commonwealth Cybersecurity Forum 2015. As the threat landscape continues to evolve at pace, it is important that governments and companies invest in cybersecurity and educate their people in the IT department and beyond. The stakes are too high for cybersecurity to be pushed to the bottom of the pile. This is why we see conferences like this as critical,” Hughes explained.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that since 2010 when the first annual Commonwealth Cybersecurity Forum was held, this event has been a key platform for collaboration across the Commonwealth and beyond for both public and private sector stakeholders to exchange ideas, share knowledge and build relationships to improve the safety, security and resilience of cyberspace. In previous years, the event has attracted participants from around 30 countries. 

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Srinandhan Srinivasan 

ITREALMS ... delivering news for ICT4D

Unwin predicts Internet access to top agenda for 2015 SDGs

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Professor Tim Unwin, has predicted that access to the Internet will top agenda for the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Professor Unwin, DigitalSENSE Business News gathered, made his prediction at the just ended inaugural Commonwealth Broadband Forum 2014 held between 18 and 20 November in Nairobi, Kenya.

He told DigitalSENSE Business News the importance of broadband and stressed how all should work collectively to ensure that the poorest and most-marginalised groups are not excluded, but able to grasp the opportunities provided by new technologies.

“Broadband connectivity should not only be used for economic growth but should also be used as a driver for social justice and effective governance,” Prof. Unwin declared to DigitalSENSE Business News in a press statement made available to correspondent by Marcel Belingue.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that over 130 delegates from Commonwealth countries took part in the event, hosted by the Communications Authority of Kenya.

 
Over three days, DigitalSENSE Business News also gathered, participants examined several aspects of broadband, including the future of broadband and mobile technologies across the Commonwealth and beyond, and the impact that these technologies will have in driving innovation and growth.

Some of the session-focused discussions, DigitalSENSE Business News gathred from 2014 theme "Broadband for Accelerated Growth” comprised the Mobile broadband technologies: 4G and LTE; Broadband access and infrastructure aiding development; Cloud computing for emerging markets; Broadband applications and value-added services; Inclusion and innovation beyond broadband: The rise of tech cities, Financing broadband in Africa; and Strengthening broadband public-private partnerships to accelerate investment projects.

@Chuks Egbuna +Remmy Nweke +Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

ITREALMS ... delivering news for ICT4D