Information Technologies and Communication Authority President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu attended the 8th e-Safe Cybersecurity Summit held at Istanbul Technical University. At the summit, organized under the main theme of “Career in Cybersecurity,” the latest developments in the field of cybersecurity were discussed.
In his speech at the summit, organized to raise awareness in the field of cybersecurity, Karagözoğlu stated that as life becomes increasingly digital in many aspects today, the risk of cyber attacks and the danger of data theft are growing at the same rate.
Drawing attention to the increase in the use of electronic communication services in Türkiye, Karagözoğlu said, “The number of broadband internet subscribers, which was 6 million in 2008, exceeded 94 million in the third quarter of 2023. As of September 2023, there are nearly 93 million mobile subscribers in Türkiye, and the mobile penetration rate has reached 114.8%. The number of 4.5G subscribers has exceeded 85 million, while the number of mobile broadband subscribers is approaching 75 million.”
Karagözoğlu stated that the total mobile internet usage in the third quarter of 2023 was 3.8 million terabytes, and the number of M2M subscribers reached 9 million. “Undoubtedly, these figures demonstrate the strong growth in Türkiye's electronic communications sector and support our country's digital initiatives for the future. Nevertheless, we know that we need to work hard to achieve better and faster progress in the Türkiye Century, and we are exerting intense efforts together with our stakeholders.”
President Karagözoğlu: The Human Factor Constitutes the Weakest Link in the Cyber Field
Expressing that the continuous change and transformation in information and communication technologies create advantages as well as security vulnerabilities stemming from cyber threats, Karagözoğlu noted that the National Cyber Incident Response Center (USOM), operating under the BTK, undertakes important tasks in coordinating with national and international stakeholders regarding the acquisition, production, and sharing of cyber threat intelligence.
Karagözoğlu said, “Cyber Incident Response Teams (SOMEs) are also carrying out their duties 7/24 under the coordination of USOM. With over 2,200 SOMEs and more than 7,300 cybersecurity experts registered on the SOME Communication Platform operated under USOM, they are protecting our country's cyber domain.”
Emphasizing the importance of using domestic and national software against cyber attacks, President Karagözoğlu said, “It is an undeniable fact that one of the most critical issues here is our ability to protect ourselves against cyber attacks with domestic and national means. In this context, projects such as Avcı, Azad, and Kasırga, developed entirely with internal institutional resources, provide significant gains to our national cybersecurity.”
Emphasizing that the human factor constitutes the weakest link in the cyber field, Karagözoğlu said, “Since cyber threats have the potential to exploit security vulnerabilities in the cyber environment, they expose users to cyber threats coming unauthorized and without permission, especially from the internet environment. As BTK, capacity building at every level is at the forefront of the issues we prioritize.”
Karagözoğlu stated, “For this very reason, like many countries, we are continuing our efforts and investments without slowing down, together with all stakeholders, to further strengthen our information and communication technology infrastructures and increase our qualified human resources. Through cyber drills, various competitions and events, as well as programs conducted under BTK Academy, we aim to develop our youth in the field of cybersecurity, enhance their competencies, and unlock their potential.”
Underlining that their main focus is not only to participate in drills at the national level but also at the international level, President Karagözoğlu said, “The first Cyber Shield Drill in our country was successfully conducted in 2019 with 87 participants from 17 different countries, with contributions from the International Telecommunication Union and the Cybersecurity Alliance for Mutual Progress (CAMP). The second one was held in 2021 with the participation of 135 experts from 36 institutions. In the 2022 drill, nearly 200 experts from more than 50 institutions participated.”
Noting that information technologies have become not an option but a necessity today, Karagözoğlu concluded his speech by saying, “We know very well that education is the most important link in our goal of a Türkiye that leads technology, produces it, and increases its added value with its own brainpower. We are simultaneously conducting many studies to prepare our youth to the changing and developing world in the most effective and knowledgeable way for the future. In line with this awareness, I believe that our investments in the education of young people will elevate our country to an important position in the league of technology-leading countries, bring us to much better economic points, and make significant contributions to the training of technology enthusiasts.”