IMPACT forms alliance with ISC(2) to combat cybercrime

By EgovAsia Editors | Nov 24, 2009

The International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT) renewed its commitment toward partner countries by calling for greater escalation to form in-country cyber threats response teams. 
 
Mohd Noor Amin, Chairman, Management Board, IMPACT, said that this drive to step up in-country response time was overdue, in light of the number of glaring cyber threats, particularly targeted at emerging markets in Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. 
 
“There is a need to promote national-level commitment for cybersecurity.  With greater connectivity come graver risks.  The rate of IT infrastructure and broadband acceleration will require swift cybersecurity response teams, who can aptly overcome cyber threats that have the potential to cripple economies.  Without the minimal level of cybersecurity infrastructures, response teams, compliances and policies in place, the potential damage from cyber threats by malicious attackers leveraging the Internet will be unimaginable,” Amin said. 
 
IMPACT’s Global Response Centre (GRC) verifies this grim landscape.  From November 11 to 17 this year, more than 14 million computers globally were newly infected with bots, which are software applications that run automated tasks over the Internet and are often associated with malicious intent.  The Conficker bot had infected 210,000 new computers in that period.  On November 16 alone, the GRC detected eight new malicious bot types.
 
To further reinforce its mandate to amplify cybersecurity professional skill sets, IMPACT has aligned with (ISC)² through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).