Minister for Competitiveness and Digital, Maritime and Services Economy Emmanuel Mallia launched Malta’s first National Cyber Security Strategy awareness campaign. The strategy calls for a number of actions covering various economic, social, and cultural aspects, given that cyber security is a technical and behavioural concern that has an impact upon Government, business and citizens. As one of its measures, the National Cyber Security Strategy calls for a National Cyber Security Awareness campaign that addresses the various strata of society, business, and public sector along with their specific needs, expectations and ICTs applied.

It is within such context, that Minister Mallia, in collaboration with the Steering Committee responsible for the National Cyber Security Strategy implementation has today, at MITA Data Centre, Santa Venera, launched a two year National Cyber Awareness Campaign as one of the Strategy’s initial priority areas. The Campaign aims to cover the online security interests of the public sector, the citizen, as well as the private sector, giving also particular attention to the SMEs which, as within the EU, constitute the majority of the Maltese economy. Hence the Maltese theme to the Campaign ‘Sigurtà Onlajn Għalik’, along with a digital character that reflects the personal effect that cyber security has in people’s day-to-day lives through the use of the various forms of ICT media applied.

The Campaign shall seek to ensure a nation-wide understanding of what cyber security means, and implies, with an increasing focus to the realities of the various stakeholders of Maltese society and economy, so as to ensure better protection and preparedness within cyber space.

During the launch, reference was made to Malta’s current Presidency of the Council of the EU, whereby, through its chairing of the Council’s working party on cyber issues, it is  aiming to promote a strategic and consistent approach towards cyber awareness across all of the European Union, with particular focus on citizens, and small to medium sized enterprises. Malta strongly believes that a single digital market across Europe cannot be attained without a stronger focus on security and trust among consumers and providers alike.

The Launch was also addressed by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Anthony Gatt, as Chairman of the National Cyber Security Strategy implementation and by Head of Operational Security Unit of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) Demosthenes Ikonomou. As part of its activity portfolio, ENISA conducts a number of EU-wide cyber security awareness exercises from time to time.