Cyber security gaps in government being addressed, minister says

There are still gaps in dealing with cyber-attacks, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Philippos Hadjizacharias admitted on Tuesday.

However, his ministry has taken serious actions to strengthen cyber-security since a spate of cyber-attacks and a water leak in the server room at the finance ministry acted as a wake-up call for improvement.

Speaking to the CyBC, Hadjizacharias said cyber security services have started installing sensor systems in all critical digital infrastructure which will warn them when attempts are made to hack into the system.

One gap which had been previously identified was that not all infrustructure had been included into the security operating centre (SOC) but this was now fixed.

The deputy minister said another aspect involves training of approximately 10,000 civil servants in cyber security literacy, as 70 per cent of attacks are shown to be the result of human error in admitting hackers into the system.

As for the central servers being removed from the finance ministry to Cyta, the specialised equipment needed has been purchased and the whole process, including a secondary backup installation to ensure business continuity, will be completed within two to three months, Hadjizacharias said.

The deputy minister offered assurances that there will be no disruptions whatsoever to services during the relocation period.

Finally, he said his department had sent a comprehensive cyber security action plan to the ministry of finance, the approval and implementation of which would bring the state’s security measures up to standard.