awareness and training among employees, the remote work during operations and maintenance, the
use of standard IT products with known vulnerabilities in the production environment, a limited cyber
security culture among vendors, suppliers and contractors, insufficient separation of data networks, the
use of mobile devices and storage units including smartphones, data networks between on- and
offshore facilities, Insufficient physical security of data rooms and other facilities, vulnerable software,
outdated and ageing control systems.
The consequences can be serious and wide-ranging for all sectors. Depending on the target and size of
the organization, the financial impact alone can reach millions of euros. Furthermore cybercrime can
seriously damage brands, compromise customer confidence, violate compliance mandates, and weaken
the ability to generate revenue. The energy sector play’s a crucial role in the global economy and is
expected to play even more important role in Cyprus economy. Cyber-attacks in this field can endanger
public safety by disrupting communications, transportation including maritime, exploration, energy
refining, power, and utility services.
An effective implementation of the security strategy is a critical element to achieving innovation and
growth. The government of Cyprus is recognising the importance of the effective implementation of a
national cyber-security strategy. The Ministry of Communications and Works which has the supervisory
role in the Information Society and Cyber security fields in Cyprus is working with the other competent
Ministries of the Republic in improving security standards in our country. The national Cybersecurity
strategy covers further to network and information security and resilience, the fields of cybercrime,
cyber defence and international cooperation in the field of cybersecurity. The activities are coordinated
by the Office of the Commissioner of Electronic Communications and postal Regulation (OCECPR).
Since many other sectors rely on ICT as an enabler, should therefore be concerned about network and
information security and more widely cyber security. As explained before, a number of specific
infrastructure and service providers are particularly vulnerable, due to their high dependence on
correctly functioning network and information systems. These sectors play an essential role in providing
key support services for our economy and society, and the security of their systems is of particular
importance to the functioning of the market. These sectors include banking, stock exchanges, energy
generation, transmission and distribution, transport (air, rail, maritime), health, internet services and
public administrations.
These sectors are covered under the actions of the Cyber security strategy and more particularly under
the national Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) framework. The work in this field is
underway and will cover the maritime and the energy sectors which are considered as critical.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In a country like Cyprus, where the economy depends heavily on the supply of services and where the
successful exploitation of the opportunities from oil and natural gas exploration is evident, a high level
of network and information security and cybersecurity, is important, and will contribute to the
development of the required market environment and trust, to enable the progress of our society. The
active implementation of the national strategy on Cybersecurity shows the government’s will, to work
closely with all stakeholders and help all critical sectors, including the energy and maritime sectors, in
order to lead our society to progress and economic prosperity.
I wish you every success in today's conference and I believe that this event will contribute positively
towards implementing cyber security practices, proactively and effectively in the all critical fields of
maritime and oil and natural gas industry.
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