Republic of Mauritius- Cyber Drill Workshop to build capacity and improve incident responses for critical sectors

The Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr N. Jugmohunsing, the Head of Policy and Analysis Estonian Information System Authority, Mauritius Coordinator of Cyber4D, Mr H. Krause, and other personalities were present.  

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Jugmohunsing, recalled that Mauritius was included in the project Cyber4D following an Agreement between Estonia and Mauritius. The Cyber4D Programme, he said, is also being implemented in Senegal, Sri Lanka, Botswana, Rwanda, and Ghana with a view to strengthen cybersecurity policy, strategic and coordination frameworks, and response capacity to cyber incidents and cyber expertise.

He indicated that the national cybersecurity is high on his Ministry’s agenda and added that a security strategy has been elaborated. One of the recommendations of the security strategy, he recalled, is to come up with a policy framework for Critical Information Infrastructure Protection and Information Security Assurance for Mauritius. The purpose of the policy, which is in a draft stage, he said, is to establish a proper governance framework for information security risk management at national and organisational levels. It also aims to develop capabilities responding to information security incidents which may impact on critical information infrastructure, he added.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary further mentioned that the concern for cybersecurity in Mauritius is not recent and said that the Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius was set up in 2008, along with the development and implementation of cybersecurity policies and the promotion of cybersecurity at national level.

Speaking about cyber drill, Mr Jugmohunsing cautioned that with the dynamic evolution of the cyberspace and its associated sophisticated threats, no responsible organisation can remain inactive with static strategies and thus, he emphasised on a constant need to be prepared against cyber threats. Cyber drill,  he said,  has become an important component in the cyber landscape today as it aims at preparing organisations on strategies to protect their connected critical infrastrucrure,. A better knowledge of cyber drill will no doubt raise the participants’ awareness on cyber threats and the development of cybersecurity strategies, he added.

For his part, Mr Krause, said that the workshop is proof of Mauritian Government’s commitment to increasing the security and resilience of critical information infrastructure. The workshop, he added, will amongst others enable stakeholders to identify risks and scenarios, share their experiences, and come up with possible solutions with the help of Estonian experts, and foster networks of Cyber Expertise and Cooperation.