The government plans to install a network of seven centers of competence for first-line cybersecurity support, according to the draft 2023 state budget bill (OE2023) released this Monday.
“The intensification of the use of technology and digital tools is the basis for creating a new economic and social paradigm, which offers countless opportunities for development,” said the executive led by António Costa, referring to “the government will remain investing in the empowerment of people, the business fabric and the digitization of public administration, through various initiatives” under the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The government cites as an example: “the training of the first 2,800 cybersecurity specialists under the C-Academy and the installation of a network of seven competence centers for first-line specialized support in cybersecurity, targeting SMEs [Pequenas e Médias Empresas] and local government of the mainland and islands”.
Innovation will “continue to play a fundamental role in the digitization of the country”, so “through experimentation laboratories, the government will design and test innovative solutions in the functioning of public administration, with the contributions of LAbX, winner of the ESPA 2021- awards in the Innovative Public Administration category, dedicated to the development of digital public services; LabAP, dedicated to improving public services; and also from the Innovation Laboratories of Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda (INCM LAB), dedicated to the development of innovative technologies and solutions for businesses”.
As for the role of the ‘startups’ ecosystem in economic development, the government will “continue to promote a more attractive business environment”.
The government “recognizes that the success of digitization and administrative modernization depends on people’s and businesses’ trust in the state and in the use of digital media”.
Despite the “undeniable” benefits of digital transition processes, they also represent “increased exposure to malicious threat agents and vulnerabilities inherent in the use of information and communication technologies”.
Hence the need to “strengthen” national cybersecurity, and the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS) will promote training and awareness-raising for health and justice professionals; the continuation of the regulatory and supervisory activities as a national cybersecurity authority, within the scope of the cyberspace security legal regime; strengthening the operational capabilities of the CERT.PT cybersecurity incident team and cooperation with other national and international authorities; operationalizing the certification scheme for compliance with the National Framework of Reference for Cybersecurity; and the development of a certification scheme for cybersecurity service providers, within the scope of the national cybersecurity certification system, according to the document.
“To support the processes of digital transformation and technology transfer in SMEs and in government, the digital innovation pool in cybersecurity will be created – C-HUB” and “in the framework of the Safe Internet Center (CIS), it will CIS – Cybersecurity LAB to be implemented”.
The National Coordination Center will also be operationalized within the framework of the European Center for Industrial, Technological and Research Competence in Cybersecurity, established by Regulation (EU) 2021/887 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021.
“Taking into account the end-of-life of the current National Strategy for Cyberspace Security, a new strategy will be developed and presented in 2023, adapted to the evolution of the threat framework and the international context”points out.
In addition, “the first prototypes of encryption machines will also be delivered and their industrialization process will begin on the basis of a national industrial consortium that will be created for this purpose, which will make it possible to develop the national cryptographic capacity, essential for advancing information security,” he concludes.
Source: DN
