Israel signs cyber security MoU

Gen Prachya Chalermwat, the NCSA secretary-general, left, and Orna Sagiv, Ambassador of Israel to Thailand, hold up their new MoU during a signing ceremony in Bangkok yesterday.  Pornprom Satrabhaya

The Israeli National Cyber Directorate (INCD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Thailand's National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) to enhance cyber security collaboration and protect the public from cyber threats.

The ceremony was conducted yesterday in Bangkok.

Orna Sagiv, the Israeli ambassador to Thailand, said the importance of cyber security should not be underestimated and it requires a coordinated response.

“Israel has been fighting in wars for so many years, and when we are fighting a war, we know who the enemies are. We know where the borders are. But cyber attacks don’t have locations or borders and this isn’t something we can deal with alone. If we want to deal with it effectively, we have to collaborate and learn from each other,” she said.

She said the MoU was the declaration of friendship and trust that would help both sides face challenges together.

“One thing that I think it is important is sharing experiences and how can we prevent [cyber attacks] from happening in other countries. I believe this collaboration will enhance the capability of both of our cyber agencies to protect our assets,” she said.

The embassy will serve as a bridge between them, she said.

Gen Prachya Chalermwat, the NCSA secretary-general, said his organisation was established to prevent, cope with and mitigate any risk from cyber threats, especially in protecting the country’s critical information and infrastructure.

“The expansion of technology means more cyber security threats and attacks. Recently, public and private sectors around the world have been experiencing malicious cyber incidents and as a result have lost certain benefits to cybercrime. Enhancing our country’s cyber security is a challenge we all need to focus on,” he said.

He said the MoU will lead to more exchanges of information on cybersecurity polices, incidents and best practices, human resources development, and reciprocal visits by cybersecurity experts.

More seminars and conferences will be hosted to discuss related issues, he said, adding a new joint venture by the cyber industry and academia will enhance cybersecurity at a national level and promote greater cooperation.