NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY STRATEGY GREEN PAPER INTRODUCTION - BACKGROUND MALTA IS NO ISLAND WITHIN THE REALM OF CYBER SPACE! CYBER SPACE KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. Up to a few decades ago, a country’s security interests focussed on protecting its borders, its waters and its airspace. Today, cyber space forms an integral part of a country’s day to day reality. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) leads the way in interaction within and outside of a country’s territory and its disruption may potentially affect life. Hence, cyber space cannot be left out of a country’s span of protection. “MALICIOUS ATTEMPTS IN CYBER SPACE MAY BE LAUNCHED ANYWHERE, IN ANY VULNERABLE AREA OF A DIGITAL NETWORK, INSTANTANEOUSLY LEAVING NO TIME FOR AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE AND WITH VERY MINIMAL TRACEABILITY OR DETECTION OF ITS PERPETRATOR” Malta is no island within the realm of cyber space. Cyber space knows no boundaries. It transcends national borders, promoting online opportunities of dialogue and cooperation beyond our shores. However, the cyber world makes no distinction between its users of good intent or not. Therefore, as opportunities are limitless, so are cyber threats. Such malicious attempts in cyber space may be launched anywhere, in any vulnerable area of a digital network, instantaneously leaving no time for an appropriate response and with very minimal traceability or detection of its perpetrator. Ultimately, cyber space is man-made and like anything else of its sort, it is never perfect. The rapid advances of technology itself and the opportunities that arise from it do not allow it either. Malta’s security of cyber space ultimately calls for a planned, collective and systemic approach that respects fundamental rights and freedoms whilst ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability of cyberspace on a day-to-day basis. Such is the intention of Digital Malta – the National Digital Strategy for the period 2O14 till 2O2O – which identifies a National Cyber Security Strategy as one of its required actions. 8 MALTA | NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY STRATEGY GREEN PAPER