1. On Monday, 8th March 2024, National Institute of Management, Lahore invited Dr. Basit Shafiq to give a detailed talk to the participants of 39th MCMC on “Cyber Security”.
  2. Shafiq gave brief overview of cyber security. He apprised the participants about cyber security defining it as the act of protecting ICT systems and their contents. Cyber security encompasses information security i.e. protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction. Cyber security ensures integrity, confidentiality and availability. Hackers employ different tactics and techniques for initial compromise such as social engineering, space phishing etc. Hackers attacked global supply shown in 2017 and subsequent damages reached USD 10 billion. He also deliberated upon various factors contributing to security threats and attacks that include organizational, human and technological factors. Effective cyber security strategy needs addressing all three factors.
  3. He also explained cyber security governance framework that requires a comprehensive cyber security mechanism which integrates with organizational operations and prevents the interruption of activities due to cyber threats or attacks.
  4. The key take away is that cyber security is not limited to specific individuals or teams within an organization. Each person in the organization has a role to play in cyber security as deploying and implementing technical controls are not sufficient for ensuring cyber security.