30th April, 2019 Over 20 delegates across the Pacific Island region convened in Nuku’alofa today for the official opening of the Pacific Cyber Security Operational Network (PACSON) Annual General Meeting 2019 and Workshop at Tanoa International Dateline Hotel to be held from the 30th April until the 2nd May, 2019.
The three-day event is hosted by the Pacific Cyber Security Operational Network (PACSON) through Australia Cyber Security Centre in partnership with Tonga’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT Tonga) of the Ministry of MEIDECC.
The meeting was officially opened this morning by the Minister for Health and Acting Minister for MEIDECC, Hon. Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala. In his remarks, he said that ratifying the Boc Declaration 2018 by our leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru, they agreed on an “expanded concept of security” focusing on human security, environmental and resource security, transnational crime, and cyber security.
“The expanded concept of security, was to assist us in coping with the threads, the Pacific faces today and will face tomorrow. This is quite timely, as each of our nations with our development partners make significant investments in infrastructures and capabilities to address issues relating to climate change, energy, improved communications connectivity, informed decision making and progressing democracy, all of which as we hear on the news are susceptible to cyber threats. This is an emerging global risk which we are not immune to, and if not addressed, will leave the promised benefits to our people from these investments as nothing but false promises.”
“Businesses and the private sector, while embracing the benefits of Information and Communications Technology, have suffered losses in the hundreds of thousands to cyber threats such as PBX Fraud and CEO Fraud. Costs with which will be directly born by the businesses and indirectly by their customers, the very people that the government aims to serve. PBX Fraud and CEO Fraud are just two practical examples of incidents that has occurred in Tonga.”
Hon. Piukala emphasized that the Health Sector too are targeted by Cyber Criminals holding patients’ information hostage for ransom.
“When doctors are not able to access patients’ previous conditions and diagnosis, a patients’ life is at risk. I am told that this kind of threat has recently occurred in our region where computers in the Ministry of Health suffered from a ransomware attack.”
He also told the gatherings that we need to constantly review and improve our capacity and capability to ensure it can address the cyber-threat landscape and trends of the time.
“Just as we have come together as a region to tackle other issues our people are facing, and will face, so too can we work closely together on cyber security so we can take full advantage of the fruits of technology. This week’s workshop will be another step forward to learn, network, share and move forward as a united and cyber-resilient region.”
Participating countries include: Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change & Communications.