ZAGREB, May 15, 2019 – Addressing a forum on cyber security in the Western Balkans, organised by the French Embassy in Zagreb on Tuesday, Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said that cyber security had become a security priority and a decisive factor of a country’s overall development.
“Cyber-attacks pose a major threat to the security, stability of economic prosperity of the European Union, its member-states, the private sector and the entire community and citizens themselves. It is becoming increasingly clear that adequate protection of business premises and systematic upgrading are the only way to protect our way of life in the current digital age. We therefore must approach the problem together and more seriously,” said the minister.
He noted that state institutions had the initial role in defining and strengthening a modern and adequate response to security threats and cyber incidents and that it was of the utmost importance to align laws with the latest technological advances to enable identification and prosecution of cyber criminals and protect the system.
“Considering the global nature of the Internet and digital business connectivity, information systems in the EU are not isolated as a target and the issue of their protection goes beyond national borders because threats to that system have negative potential that can jeopardise the survival of the common European project and our common values,” he stressed.
Božinović said that the Ministry of the Interior was working on strengthening the capacities, education and specialisation of police and judicial officials for the prevention of cybercrime and that Croatia, as the host of the international forum, was recognised as a country which had the tools, know-how and skills as well as experts to deal with cyber security challenges.
“With the recent arrest of the owner of the biggest international illegal Internet service we have shown to Europe that we are ready, capable, trained and equipped to fight the most sophisticated security threats and we continue to develop in that direction,” said Božinović.
The Zagreb forum on cyber security in the Western Balkans brought together around 50 representatives from 14 countries of the EU and the region, including cyber security experts and business people.
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