On April 17, 2024, Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) and the Center for Policy and Executive Development (CPED) successfully hosted the “Securing the Future: Forum on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence” at UP Diliman’s National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG). The event aimed to boost strategic partnerships and improve policy frameworks for cybersecurity and AI across various sectors.

In a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing cybersecurity and AI policy frameworks, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), Southeast Asia Hub, partnered with the Center for Policy and Executive Development (CPED) at the National College for Public Administration, NCPAG, UP Diliman. This partnership facilitated the inter-agency forum, “Securing the Future: Forum on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence,” emphasizing GFCE’s commitment to supporting global and regional cyber capacity building.

The forum highlighted GFCE’s dedication to fostering strategic partnerships across various sectors, including government, academia, and the private sector. It served as a vital platform for exchanging knowledge, where regional and global experts shared insights on emerging trends and legislative developments that affect cybersecurity and AI practices.

GFCE Southeast Asia Hub Director, Engr. Allan Cabanlong presented GFCE’s vision of maximizing ICT’s benefits for a secure, peaceful, and open digital world during the forum. He emphasized the significance of collaborative policymaking and regulation to enhance the protection of digital infrastructures and promote technological advancements worldwide.

Keynote and panel discussions at the forum featured notable figures such as UP Diliman Chancellor Atty. Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II, who advocated for policies that adapt to rapid technological advances, aligning with GFCE’s objectives to influence environments that both regulate and promote innovation in cybersecurity and AI.

GFCE facilitated discussions that led to actionable insights and robust policy frameworks, sharing expertise on international standards and best practices with Philippine stakeholders. Insights from experts like Mr. Joey Rufo, CISO at Unionbank of the Philippines, and Engr. Ava T. Taniajura from BSI Philippines were instrumental in demonstrating the practical implications of cybersecurity strategies and the importance of international standards in building cyber resilience.

The event concluded with GFCE’s commitment to continue supporting and expanding such collaborative forums not only in the Philippines but across Southeast Asia. By aligning with regional research institutions and sharing key data with donors, GFCE aims to enhance its regional impact and credibility, contributing effectively to national and regional cyber resiliency.

GFCE will maintain its partnership with UPNCPAG-CPED and other stakeholders to influence the ongoing development of a comprehensive Cybersecurity Law and to participate in the ASEAN AI Framework discussions for the ASEAN Regional meeting hosted by the Philippines in 2026. These engagements are crucial for advancing GFCE’s mission to support secure, sustainable technological growth across the region.

Global Forum on Cyber Expertise partners with Center for Policy and Executive Development to conduct Cybersecurity and AI Forum.

By: Dominic Sepenu

GFCE and ACBF unite in a landmark MOU to bolster Africa’s cybersecurity resilience. This collaboration aims to address escalating cyber threats by pooling resources and expertise. Through targeted capacity-building programs, governments, institutions, and individuals will gain vital skills to mitigate risks effectively.

In a significant move towards enhancing global cybersecurity resilience, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), Africa Hub, and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to bolster capacity-building efforts in cybersecurity across Africa.

The MOU signifies a collaborative commitment to address the pressing challenges faced by African nations in cyberspace. With the exponential growth of digital technologies, Africa has become increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats, ranging from malicious cyber activities to data breaches and cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure.

Under the terms of the agreement, the GFCE and ACBF pledge to pool their resources, expertise, and networks to deliver targeted capacity-building programs tailored to the needs of African countries. This collaboration aims to empower governments, institutions, and individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to mitigate cyber risks effectively.

Key components of the partnership include:

1. Resource Mobilization: Facilitating the exchange of resources, best practices, lessons learned, and expertise in cybersecurity capacity building between the GFCE’s global network and ACBF’s extensive regional reach in Africa.

2. Capacity Building Programs: Organizing training sessions, workshops, and seminars designed to build the technical and strategic capacities of African stakeholders in cybersecurity governance, risk management, incident response, and other critical areas.

3. Research and Policy Development: Supporting research initiatives and policy dialogues to inform evidence-based cybersecurity strategies and policy frameworks that align with regional priorities and international standards.

4. Networking and Collaboration: Fostering partnerships and collaboration among government agencies, academia, private sector entities, and civil society organizations to foster a holistic and inclusive approach to cybersecurity capacity building.

Mr. Moctar Yedaly, Director of the GFCE Africa Hub, expressed optimism about the transformative potential of the MOU, stating, “By joining forces with ACBF, we can leverage our collective strengths to build a more resilient and inclusive cybersecurity ecosystem in Africa.”

The signing of the MOU between the GFCE and ACBF represents a significant milestone in the global efforts to promote cybersecurity capacity building, specifically focusing on addressing the unique challenges African countries face. As cyberspace evolves rapidly, collaborative initiatives like these are essential to ensure a safer and more secure digital future.

By: Jaqueline Pateguana, Clearing House Coordinator

In the face of escalating cybersecurity risks, the GFCE Clearing House tool remains crucial in coordinating cyber capacity building initiatives at local, regional and global levels. By offering tailored assistance, it connects members of the GFCE community to resources and expertise, fostering collaboration to address the increasing threats to cyberspace and, more broadly, economic stability.

In today’s digitally interconnected world, cybersecurity threats have reached unprecedented levels, transcending borders and posing significant risks to national security, economic stability and public safety. Recognizing the imperative need for a coordinated cyber capacity building response, the GFCE Clearing House mechanism seeks to synergize efforts and facilitate the exchange of expertise and resources within the GFCE community. At its core, the GFCE Clearing House provides tailored assistance to GFCE member countries with cyber capacity needs. This is achieved by matching those members to GFCE partners and implementers who can offer cyber capacity support.

Since its establishment in 2015, the GFCE Clearing House has facilitated several successful CCB projects. And while the success of different projects or initiatives can depend on many factors, the following three are critical:

1. A clear political mandate

A political mandate is indispensable for the success of any GFCE Clearing House project. It clarifies the entity with the governmental authorization for cybersecurity as a whole, or the initiative in particular. Additionally, it demonstrates the commitment that legitimizes and propels the CCB initiative forward.

With a clear political mandate, stakeholders are given clarity on who has the purview for a particular initiative, thereby avoiding the risk of identical interventions, or duplication of efforts, at a national level. Similarly, with a clear political mandate, a CCB project is more likely to receive the necessary support (in-kind or financial), stakeholder engagement and cross-sector collaboration because the mandate alone can serve as a clear signal that the GFCE member country is devoted to safeguarding its digital frontiers in a coordinated manner, thereby fostering an environment conducive to comprehensive, strategic planning and robust execution of cybersecurity measures. This level of official support is particularly crucial in cyber capacity building, where rapid response and adaptation to the evolving threat landscape are necessary.

2. Strategic vision for securing cyberspace

The strategic vision for securing the nation’s cyberspace is a second critical success factor. Strategic vision, articulated through a strategy or action plan, provides a comprehensive roadmap for protecting a nation’s critical information infrastructure and digital assets against cyber threats. Much like a clear political mandate, an actionable strategic vision that outlines how a nation intends to bolster its cyber capacity can also serve to demonstrate the GFCE member country’s coordinated response to cyber threats, enhancing national security and public safety, and is therefore often requested to showcase the country’s medium and long term goals for protecting its digital assets.

It is important to note that this high-level strategic vision should also be aligned with the mission of the GFCE — to promote an open, free, peaceful, and secure digital world. An open and free digital environment not only encourages innovation by allowing information to flow freely, but it also aligns with the protection of fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression and the right to privacy. In essence, observance of the principles of open, free, peaceful, and secure cyberspace contributes to creating a safer, more inclusive, and more prosperous global society — the values on which the GFCE community is built.

3. Adequate institutional arrangement

The final element for a successful GFCE Clearing House case is the presence of a national institutional arrangement to support the roll-out of the project. An effective governance framework is critical for two reasons. First, to ensure that the project’s execution is in alignment with the country’s strategic vision. Second, to ensure that the country can strengthen and sustain cyber capacities at a national level.

While the GFCE Clearing House mechanism connects GFCE Member countries with partners and implementers who have offers of cyber capacity, it is ultimately the responsibility of the requesting country to drive the initiative. To achieve this, GFCE member countries need agile teams that can respond to immediate challenges and have the strategic capacity to plan for the medium and long term. The local teams should be familiar with the local context in which the initiative is being rolled out — safeguarding the cultural and sociopolitical context.

This self-reliance ensures the project’s sustainability and safeguards the nation’s overall longevity and self-sufficiency in managing and advancing its cybersecurity capacities, as the teams will leverage knowledge transfer for future CCB activities.

Conclusion

As the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, delivering successful CCB programming becomes more pressing. While this list doesn’t contain every factor required for a successful GFCE Clearing House project, addressing these three critical success factors — having a clear political mandate, a strategic vision for cybersecurity and an adequate institutional arrangement — will not only lay the foundation for coordinating CCB efforts but also ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of CCB programming, ultimately fostering a resilient cyberspace.

In a significant stride towards fostering collaboration in the realm of cyber capacity building, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) has joined forces with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research’s (UNIDIR) Cyber Policy Portal (CPP) and its own Cybil Portal. This collaboration, announced in the margins of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) 6th substantive session on December 15, 2023, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, represents a pivotal moment in the field. It signifies a commitment to seamless data exchange and information sharing, ultimately contributing to a more robust global cyber capacity building landscape.

GFCE’s Cybil Portal is the largest global, open, and free knowledge repository for the international cyber capacity building (CCB) community, boasting nearly 900 projects and activities, over 400 tools and resources, actor information, and an events calendar. Complementing this, the UNIDIR’s Cyber Policy Portal is a comprehensive resource offering a detailed overview of cyber policy landscapes across all 193 UN Member States and selected intergovernmental organisations. 

This collaborative initiative aims to bolster information sharing and transparency in the realm of cyber capacity building by harnessing the strengths of both portals. This synergy goes beyond a singular event, establishing a sustained channel for enhancing the knowledge base and initiating additional projects within the GFCE framework.

Through this initiative, nearly 900 cyber capacity building projects from the Cybil Portal will seamlessly integrate into UNIDIR’s CPP, enhancing its content with a wealth of diverse initiatives. This joint effort raises awareness of existing resources and broadens their reach to a broader audience. The expanded visibility achieved is vital for promoting transparency in cyber capacity-building endeavours. Beyond visibility and data integration, this collaboration fosters better resource optimisation, easing the work of practitioners in the field. By consolidating knowledge and projects from both portals, the cyber capacity building community can streamline efforts, prevent duplication, and advance more effective and targeted initiatives collectively.

In essence, this collaboration represents a sustained effort to generate more GFCE knowledge and build additional projects and expects to strengthen GFCE’s commitment to providing tools that enhance the global cyber capacity building landscape. As the two portals continue to exchange information seamlessly, the collective impact on the field is expected to be substantial, reinforcing the notion that collaboration is critical to advancing cyber capacity building on a global scale.