The Department of Information and Communications Technology is embarking on implementing its public investment programs in 2023, which include in particular, the Cyber Security Network and the Digital Government Infrastructure and Service.
This was highlighted by the Minister for Information and Communications Technology Hon. Timothy Masiu, when addressing the Commonwealth Conference on Cybercrime in the Pacific, in Port Moresby on Monday.
“The Department of ICT is currently formalizing and onboarding key cyber agencies in PNG that will form a national cyber coordinating committee (N3C) which will speed up reporting, technical verification by backend technology, and cooperation with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) Cybercrime Unit, leading to search warrants and prosecution,” Minister Masiu said.
DICT has made progress so far in collaborating with the National Censorship Office in relation to addressing illicit content on the Internet being accessed within PNG’s digital boundaries.
“There are also other areas such as the Dark Web which PNG needs government leadership and on the same token, I want to express my deep satisfaction that all three arms of government are deeply engaged in digital transformation and cybersecurity,” Minister Masiu added.
While the PNG Constitution entrenches the principle of ‘separation of powers, each arm of government has a duty to the citizens to digitally transform the delivery of government services and to ensure that this takes place in a cyber secure environment.
In the meantime, the Government has invited heads of the Pacific ICT institutions for an ICT dialogue in East New Britain province, to further deliberate amongst other issues, cybercrime and how ICT bodies can collaborate for a common purpose.
“The Global future is a digital future and I look forward to the outcomes of this conference, Minister Masiu added.