2.0 CONTEXT THREATS – SOCIO-ECONOMIC, RISKS AND 2.1 Society Cyberspace has developed into a vital area of activity for the state, the economy, science and society in general. Everything in the information age is connected to the Internet and everything is connected to each other. This promotes innovation and enhances productivity. It is estimated that there will be 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020 enabling them to communicate with each other (compared to 15 billion today)2. By the end of 2015, there were more than 3.2 billion Internet users globally, with a sizeable population of Batswana amongst them. Cybersecurity is an ecosystem that goes beyond the use of technology. It includes nontechnical measures such as delivery of timely and appropriate policy and regulatory responses, capacity building and consumer awareness. The main objective of the National Cybersecurity Strategy is to ensure that Citizens have access to an open cyberspace with confidence that their data will be protected. Batswana use social media for advocacy on socioeconomic and political issues. It is also a platform reach out to target audience instantaneously, at a fraction of the cost of traditional media advertising. Examples include entertainment industry reaching out to audience beyond border and government delivering the public services (e-gov services) through the online platforms. Therefore, it is important to ensure that cyberspace is secure to guarantee public confidence and integrity on the Internet. 2.2 Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce) Cyberspace has developed into a market place of strategic importance in a relatively short period of time. The country has enacted the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act in order to facilitate e-commerce and is in the process of developing an e-commerce strategy. Some businesses are already trading online and also use the Internet to market their products on the global market. While Botswana’s participation in online market is still at its infancy stage, it is expected to grow once the country has developed and implemented an e-Commerce strategy. It is important for Botswana to be part of the digital economy, using e-commerce to drive the economic diversification. 2.3 e- Government Services The Internet plays an important role in facilitating the communication between Government and society. The Government has developed an e-government strategy to provide online services. Cyberspace has an impact on the relationship between the Government and society. The Government portal is already online. Social media 2 Source: A collaborative report by DHL and Cisco (http://www.dhl.com/content/dam/Local_Images/g0/New_aboutus/ innovation/DHLTrendReport_Internet_of_things.pdf) 13 | P a g e National Cybersecurity Strategy