• Home
  • About RSIS
    • Introduction
    • Building the Foundations
    • Welcome Message
    • Board of Governors
    • Staff Profiles
      • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
      • Dean’s Office
      • Management
      • Distinguished Fellows
      • Faculty and Research
      • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
      • Visiting Fellows
      • Adjunct Fellows
      • Administrative Staff
    • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
    • RSIS Endowment Fund
    • Endowed Professorships
    • Career Opportunities
    • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
    • Research Centres
      • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
      • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
      • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
      • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
      • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
    • Research Programmes
      • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
      • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
    • Future Issues and Technology Cluster
    • [email protected] Newsletter
    • Other Research
      • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
    • Graduate Programmes Office
    • Overview
    • MSc (Asian Studies)
    • MSc (International Political Economy)
    • MSc (International Relations)
    • MSc (Strategic Studies)
    • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
    • PhD Programme
    • Exchange Partners and Programmes
    • How to Apply
    • Financial Assistance
    • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
    • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
    • Alumni
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
    • International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
    • SRP Executive Programme
    • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
    • RSIS Publications
      • Annual Reviews
      • Books
      • Bulletins and Newsletters
      • Commentaries
      • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
      • Commemorative / Event Reports
      • IDSS Paper
      • Interreligious Relations
      • Monographs
      • NTS Insight
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • RSIS Publications for the Year
    • Glossary of Abbreviations
    • External Publications
      • Authored Books
      • Journal Articles
      • Edited Books
      • Chapters in Edited Books
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • Op-Eds
      • External Publications for the Year
    • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
    • Great Powers
    • Sustainable Security
    • Other Resource Pages
    • Media Highlights
    • News Releases
    • Speeches
    • Vidcast Channel
    • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsis.sg
Linkedin
instagram instagram rsis.sg
RSS
  • Home
  • About RSIS
      • Introduction
      • Building the Foundations
      • Welcome Message
      • Board of Governors
      • Staff Profiles
        • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
        • Dean’s Office
        • Management
        • Distinguished Fellows
        • Faculty and Research
        • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
        • Visiting Fellows
        • Adjunct Fellows
        • Administrative Staff
      • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
      • RSIS Endowment Fund
      • Endowed Professorships
      • Career Opportunities
      • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
      • Research Centres
        • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
        • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
        • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
        • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
        • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      • Research Programmes
        • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
        • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      • Future Issues and Technology Cluster
      • [email protected] Newsletter
      • Other Research
        • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      • Graduate Programmes Office
      • Overview
      • MSc (Asian Studies)
      • MSc (International Political Economy)
      • MSc (International Relations)
      • MSc (Strategic Studies)
      • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
      • PhD Programme
      • Exchange Partners and Programmes
      • How to Apply
      • Financial Assistance
      • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
      • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
      • Alumni
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
      • International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
      • SRP Executive Programme
      • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
      • RSIS Publications
        • Annual Reviews
        • Books
        • Bulletins and Newsletters
        • Commentaries
        • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
        • Commemorative / Event Reports
        • IDSS Paper
        • Interreligious Relations
        • Monographs
        • NTS Insight
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • RSIS Publications for the Year
      • Glossary of Abbreviations
      • External Publications
        • Authored Books
        • Journal Articles
        • Edited Books
        • Chapters in Edited Books
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • Op-Eds
        • External Publications for the Year
      • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
      • Great Powers
      • Sustainable Security
      • Other Resource Pages
      • Media Highlights
      • News Releases
      • Speeches
      • Vidcast Channel
      • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
  • instagram instagram rsis.sg
Connect

Getting to RSIS

Map

Address

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

View location on Google maps Click here for directions to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
    RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
    instagram instagram rsis.sg
      RSS
    Subscribe to RSIS Publications
    Subscribe to RSIS Events

    RSIS Intranet

    S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
    Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University

    Skip to content

     
    • RSIS
    • Publication
    • RSIS Publications
    • CO13177 | Enhancing Cybersecurity & Data Privacy: The Role of Private Citizens
    • Annual Reviews
    • Books
    • Bulletins and Newsletters
    • Commentaries
    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
    • Commemorative / Event Reports
    • IDSS Paper
    • Interreligious Relations
    • Monographs
    • NTS Insight
    • Policy Reports
    • Working Papers
    • RSIS Publications for the Year

    CO13177 | Enhancing Cybersecurity & Data Privacy: The Role of Private Citizens
    Caitrίona Helena Heinl

    27 September 2013

    download pdf
    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    Synopsis

    Cybersecurity is increasingly being enhanced worldwide. At the same time, it is equally necessary to be mindful of civil liberties and data privacy protections. Initiatives which co-opt citizens can be effective in achieving these goals.

    Commentary

    AS GOVERNMENTS and public authorities develop and implement cybersecurity measures, it is essential that civil liberties such as data privacy and data protection be respected. Where possible, both security and data privacy principles should be incorporated from the outset in such measures – in other words by design.

    Consequently, novel initiatives which strengthen cybersecurity and data privacy as well as increase public awareness of their importance should be encouraged since citizens’ buy-in, loyalty and cooperation are essential for effective cybersecurity strategies. Furthermore, while the end-user is often identified as the weakest link in terms of cybersecurity, he can also be the most valuable link if novel strategies are applied.

    Co-ownership of responsibility for cybersecurity

    There are five key considerations underlying initiatives which co-opt citizens for enhancing cybersecurity. First, for much-needed cybersecurity measures to be effective when implemented they must respect fundamental rights and protect civil liberties such as data privacy and data protection. Deviation from these principles will only undermine the credibility of authorities and impede the effectiveness of the measures.

    Second, awareness-raising initiatives and constructive debate are essential to ensure citizens are fully informed and aware about the issues and risks they encounter on a daily basis in their use of ICT as well as their own role in ensuring cybersecurity.

    Third, citizens should be made aware that they have a shared responsibility for cybersecurity and data privacy. As end-users, individual citizens must be made to realise that they too play a crucial role and that there is a shared responsibility for cybersecurity and data privacy between public authorities, the private sector and individuals as the end-user.

    Fourth, recent initiatives to stimulate the creation of innovative and useful tools can assist public authorities and companies identify much-needed talent. Lastly, most initiatives are easily transferable and may therefore be adopted or tweaked at local, national or international level.

    A toolbox of initiatives

    Several examples of recent initiatives and developments support these principles. They include outreach campaigns to promote public awareness through education, cybersecurity months, transparency reports such as the release for the first time on 27 August 2013 of Facebook’s Global Government Requests Report, and hackathons like this year’s “EUhackathon 2013”.

    The Facebook report details, for purposes of increased transparency and trust, which countries requested information about Facebook users, the number of requests and number of user accounts specified in those requests, and the percentage of requests in which the company was legally obliged to disclose some data.

    EUhackathon 2013, themed “hACK4YOUrRIGhTS”, was a 24-hour coding session held in September 2013 in Google’s Brussels offices. It focused on raising awareness of government requests to companies for user information and the “empower[ing] of citizens to stand up for their fundamental rights” through the creation of tools to be made freely available online by citizens for citizens to know when and why governments demand access to their information.

    Selected teams of coders, developers and hackers were challenged to create applications on the state of government surveillance by using data sets from network analysis, corporate transparency reports, government reports, and Freedom of Information Requests.

    While such initiatives are significant and should be further encouraged, there is still, however, an urgent need for more of these kinds of initiatives which should be broader in their scope.

    Solving complex cybersecurity dilemmas

    Open innovation challenges allow public authorities, corporations or even civil society groups to tailor a cost-effective challenge for citizens by placing a specific question on online innovation forums. A challenge may be limited to national applicants or it may be opened to the wider global community and should therefore be considered as a possible solution for finding new policy or theoretical concepts and novel technological tools.

    For instance, the online community could be asked in an open cybersecurity challenge, “how can big data be best leveraged to enhance cybersecurity while ensuring data privacy?” The parameters may be set so that solutions must incorporate principles of security and data privacy by design. For example, open innovation challenges were launched earlier this year on pre-existing innovation forums by USAID and the Humanity United Foundation to find a mechanism for secure communications during a crisis. In July 2013 the US Department of State launched the 2013 Innovation in Arms Control Challenge for a prize of US$10,000 to find out “what information technology tools and concepts can support future arms control inspections”.

    Results can often be quite surprising, as can the sources of submissions – winners of one challenge included a student, a scientist, and a defence industry consultant. It is therefore worth considering the feasibility of open innovation challenges for enhancing cybersecurity and civil liberties protections since they are solutions-based in nature, stimulate innovation, are relatively cost-effective, and enhance awareness of the issues.

    Furthermore, co-ownership of responsibility is encouraged since citizens are engaged to co-produce exciting and novel solutions for burning policy and technological questions. In short, an open cybersecurity challenge could quite easily provide a valuable and simple opportunity for solving some of the most complex cybersecurity and related data privacy problems.

    About the Author

    Caitríona H. Heinl is a Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.

    Categories: Commentaries / / Global

    Last updated on 04/04/2017

    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    Synopsis

    Cybersecurity is increasingly being enhanced worldwide. At the same time, it is equally necessary to be mindful of civil liberties and data privacy protections. Initiatives which co-opt citizens can be effective in achieving these goals.

    Commentary

    AS GOVERNMENTS and public authorities develop and implement cybersecurity measures, it is essential that civil liberties such as data privacy and data protection be respected. Where possible, both security and data privacy principles should be incorporated from the outset in such measures – in other words by design.

    Consequently, novel initiatives which strengthen cybersecurity and data privacy as well as increase public awareness of their importance should be encouraged since citizens’ buy-in, loyalty and cooperation are essential for effective cybersecurity strategies. Furthermore, while the end-user is often identified as the weakest link in terms of cybersecurity, he can also be the most valuable link if novel strategies are applied.

    Co-ownership of responsibility for cybersecurity

    There are five key considerations underlying initiatives which co-opt citizens for enhancing cybersecurity. First, for much-needed cybersecurity measures to be effective when implemented they must respect fundamental rights and protect civil liberties such as data privacy and data protection. Deviation from these principles will only undermine the credibility of authorities and impede the effectiveness of the measures.

    Second, awareness-raising initiatives and constructive debate are essential to ensure citizens are fully informed and aware about the issues and risks they encounter on a daily basis in their use of ICT as well as their own role in ensuring cybersecurity.

    Third, citizens should be made aware that they have a shared responsibility for cybersecurity and data privacy. As end-users, individual citizens must be made to realise that they too play a crucial role and that there is a shared responsibility for cybersecurity and data privacy between public authorities, the private sector and individuals as the end-user.

    Fourth, recent initiatives to stimulate the creation of innovative and useful tools can assist public authorities and companies identify much-needed talent. Lastly, most initiatives are easily transferable and may therefore be adopted or tweaked at local, national or international level.

    A toolbox of initiatives

    Several examples of recent initiatives and developments support these principles. They include outreach campaigns to promote public awareness through education, cybersecurity months, transparency reports such as the release for the first time on 27 August 2013 of Facebook’s Global Government Requests Report, and hackathons like this year’s “EUhackathon 2013”.

    The Facebook report details, for purposes of increased transparency and trust, which countries requested information about Facebook users, the number of requests and number of user accounts specified in those requests, and the percentage of requests in which the company was legally obliged to disclose some data.

    EUhackathon 2013, themed “hACK4YOUrRIGhTS”, was a 24-hour coding session held in September 2013 in Google’s Brussels offices. It focused on raising awareness of government requests to companies for user information and the “empower[ing] of citizens to stand up for their fundamental rights” through the creation of tools to be made freely available online by citizens for citizens to know when and why governments demand access to their information.

    Selected teams of coders, developers and hackers were challenged to create applications on the state of government surveillance by using data sets from network analysis, corporate transparency reports, government reports, and Freedom of Information Requests.

    While such initiatives are significant and should be further encouraged, there is still, however, an urgent need for more of these kinds of initiatives which should be broader in their scope.

    Solving complex cybersecurity dilemmas

    Open innovation challenges allow public authorities, corporations or even civil society groups to tailor a cost-effective challenge for citizens by placing a specific question on online innovation forums. A challenge may be limited to national applicants or it may be opened to the wider global community and should therefore be considered as a possible solution for finding new policy or theoretical concepts and novel technological tools.

    For instance, the online community could be asked in an open cybersecurity challenge, “how can big data be best leveraged to enhance cybersecurity while ensuring data privacy?” The parameters may be set so that solutions must incorporate principles of security and data privacy by design. For example, open innovation challenges were launched earlier this year on pre-existing innovation forums by USAID and the Humanity United Foundation to find a mechanism for secure communications during a crisis. In July 2013 the US Department of State launched the 2013 Innovation in Arms Control Challenge for a prize of US$10,000 to find out “what information technology tools and concepts can support future arms control inspections”.

    Results can often be quite surprising, as can the sources of submissions – winners of one challenge included a student, a scientist, and a defence industry consultant. It is therefore worth considering the feasibility of open innovation challenges for enhancing cybersecurity and civil liberties protections since they are solutions-based in nature, stimulate innovation, are relatively cost-effective, and enhance awareness of the issues.

    Furthermore, co-ownership of responsibility is encouraged since citizens are engaged to co-produce exciting and novel solutions for burning policy and technological questions. In short, an open cybersecurity challenge could quite easily provide a valuable and simple opportunity for solving some of the most complex cybersecurity and related data privacy problems.

    About the Author

    Caitríona H. Heinl is a Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), a constituent unit of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.

    Categories: Commentaries

    Last updated on 04/04/2017

    Back to top

    Terms of Use | Privacy Statement
    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
    OK
    Latest Book
    CO13177 | Enhancing Cybersecurity & Data Privacy: The Role of Private Citizens

    Synopsis

    Cybersecurity is increasingly being enhanced worldwide. At the same time, it is equally necessary to be mindful of civil ...
    more info