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ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Articulating strategy requirements and approaches for developing an effective cyber strategy for Kazakhstan took center stage during a workshop here led by the Defense Department’s George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies May 21-23.
The workshop was the first step in working toward the mutually agreed upon goal in the DOD and Kazakh ministry of defense five-year military cooperation plan to “support the development of emerging cyber-defense capabilities.” The three-day workshop brought five ministries and three additional agencies together. The workshop built upon the recent Marshall Center Central Asia Alumni Workshop called “Security in the Cyber Age,” which took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in October 2012.
Darren Adams, the event co-organizer and program planner for of the Marshall Center’s Program on Central Asia, said participants recognized the need for developing a national cyber strategy.
“Presentations, plenary discussions, and working group sessions were well received and participants were fully engaged,” Adams said. “Workshop attendance and level of engagement exceeded our expectations.”
The event had five broad goals, including providing the audience a basic understanding of cyber threats and lessons learned from recent large-scale cyber attacks. Workshop leaders also emphasized international principals and cooperation in the cyber realm.
Adams said cyber is a “high priority” for Kazakhstan. “The participants demonstrated an appreciation of the importance of cyber security, cyber command-and-control challenges, and the importance of the whole of government approach.” Adams indicated that industry partnership was also important to meeting the challenges.
With 30 Kazakh participants and two other foreign participants, the event was moderated by three Marshall Center staff members, including Dr. Eric Young, professor of international security studies; Joseph Vann, professor of national security studies and U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service faculty chair; and Lt. Col. Bryan Hasty, Marshall Center chief information officer.
Vytautas Butrimas, chief adviser for cyber security for the Lithuanian ministry of defense and Kadri Kaska, legal analyst from NATO Cyber Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia, were also on hand for the event.
Vann said the workshop generated “intense interest in additional Marshall Center cyber courses and the potential attendance in any future cyber course.”
“Kazakh participants were receptive to the concept of international cooperation in cyber matters as a pathway for greater global integration,” said Vann, noting that information security is one “vector” in the new national security strategy for the Central Asian nation.
Young said the event emphasized the need for the Marshall Center’s role in delivering full-spectrum cyber programs in the region for the DOD.
“Based on the workshop, future efforts should focus on establishing momentum based on this initial workshop. It is important to build upon relationships established during this workshop to further develop and keep the ‘whole of government’ concept in focus,” Young said.
A follow-up event is slated for May 2014.
| Date Taken: | 06.28.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2013 05:58 |
| Story ID: | 109445 |
| Location: | GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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