Experts Emphasise Need for Transparency and Accountability through Open Collaboration as Crucial Part for Digital Transformation
[KUALA LUMPUR, 6 July 2021] Transparency and accountability to build trust in technology are crucial factors that will accelerate digital transformation adaptation and ensure a secure digital world for governments, organisations and individuals.
Therefore, it is important for every stakeholder to embrace a spirit of local and global cooperation and openness in sharing knowledge and best practices to form a unified and effective force against cyber-crimes and threats.
These were among the points discussed during a panel session titled “Digital Transformation” on 30 June, which was part of the recently concluded Cyber Defence & Cyber Security Exhibition and Conference 2021 (CYDES 2021).
The panel session saw the participation of Dato’ Ts. Dr. Husin Jazri, Senior Vice President (Cyber Security), Serba Dinamik Group Berhad; Aiza Azreen Ahmad, Chief Digital Business Officer, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC); and Mika Lauhde, Vice President for Cyber Security and Privacy, Global Public Affairs and Communications Department, Huawei Technologies.
Speaking at the panel session, Lauhde described those who collaborate for the shared purpose of building cyber resilience as having “an asset that nobody can beat”.
He explained that Huawei employs a two-part approach in the area of trust-building.
“The first part is what I call an ‘engineering approach’. As a market leader, we want to contribute to the ecosystem by developing the best standards and practices to form the most effective solutions. For this, we offer our most capable engineers and dedicated talent for standardization work” he said, adding that the second part was more extensive as it involves collaboration between multiple stakeholders.
Ensuring cyber resilience is not something a single company, not even Huawei, could do alone. We need to collaborate with governments, other enterprises, universities, schools, and many other members of the ecosystem,” Lauhde said.
He emphasised that a good example of transparent standardization that is happening as a joint effort by governments and industries globally is the Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS), which not only focuses on the product itself but the environment where it is developed.
Lauhde highlighted that as a global technology leader, Huawei upholds transparency and accountability in all of its operations. “What this means is we not only share our vision and strategy, but also our best practices, processes and operational procedures, including the source code of our products for screening. We make sure that all these are transparent and visible. Our intention is to make the best and most secure products for the world,” he said.
In his speech during the launch of CYDES 2021, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reiterated the government’s commitment towards improving national resilience in safeguarding Malaysia’s cyber environment. He also highlighted the sharing of experiences, knowledge and new technologies as a key factor to achieve this.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin said the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) reflects the government's commitment, and that the action plan under the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy (MCSS) 2020-2024 would align with MyDIGITAL initiatives with an aim to build a secure cyber space.
Describing the event as “timely”, the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) CEO Ir. Mohd Shah Nuri Md Zain said the time was ripe for collaborative efforts across sectors and on a global scale.
"As the world ramps up speed towards greater digital transformation, it is crucial for us to fortify our cyber guardrails as well as revise and align our plans and strategies with the times – and we need to do this together,” he said.
“This is why it is so timely and important for tech leaders in this space to come together for an event such as this inaugural CYDES 2021, where we can share best practices and exchange knowledge on cyber defence, cyber security and emerging technologies. This will also strengthen global collaborative efforts between various sectors, which is line with MCSS 2020-2024, to improve the nation’s cyber security management,” he added.
Lauhde echoed this sentiment, where he said: “In the middle of the ever accelerating digital transformation, it is also imperative to stay part of the acceleration of cyber security, which is an integrated part of technology evolution.
“But cyber security due to its nature, is not a game of an individual company or country. This needs ecosystems where events like CYDES 2021 play a significant role by bringing together different global and national entities, from both the government and the private sector sides.”
CYDES 2021, which was held from 28-30 June, was a biennial international conference and exhibition under MCSS 2020-2024. It was organised and hosted by the National Security Council and NACSA.