Cyberspace security, power building and geopolitical impact up for debate at ADSD

As the world today shows great concerns and interests pertaining to Cyberspace Security, the "Third Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate 2016" gave a special focus to the issue and designated a panel to address the threats linked to a phenomena gaining powerful impact on governments and organisations across the globe.

Speakers of the panel included Barry Pavel, Vice President, Arnold Kanter Chair, and Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council, Josh Corman, Director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council and Moderator Dr. Zaid Eyadat, Prof. of Political Science at UCONN, Georgetown and EPC adviser.

Barry Pavel, Vice President, Arnold Kanter Chair, and Director, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council, said "We’re at the beginning of a new age in history and we require strategic foresight to imaging what’s coming in the future of cyberspace. This age is experiencing a functioning and a functional internet. We need to communicate, operate and in the security sphere. It’s global in every aspect".

"Cyber is mastered by some of the major actors such as Russia. On the technical side.The system is getting increasingly complex although the US and Russia seem to be on the same level of advancement We should give more importance in foreign policy and defense to cyber security. We can close on ISIS on the field, but if we don’t do so online then we cannot defeat them", Pavel stressed.

Josh Corman, Director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council, emphasized "It’s important to bridge the technical community with the international one. The private sector is far more concerned with the ability to defend and protect individuals from attacks and breaches. It’s less about the big data and technology nowadays".

"In the Arab region there is tremendous investment in future smart technology. If we can raise the cyber hygiene enough, we can protect ourselves better from attacks". Corman added.

The cyber security threat is now widely understood to be real and growing, and increasingly touches on every facet of our connected world.