1. Lebanon strategic context
Lebanon stands in the midst of all the advancement in the technology that we are
currently witnessing. By relying on modest and insecure digitization, Lebanon is exposed
to disruption, which targets its security as well as the safety and privacy of its citizens.
The lack of a unified and clear Cyber Security strategy across different public sector
bodies and private organizations makes it difficult to defend and prevent such attacks.
Considering the vulnerabilities, data breaches, and all the different attacks that
some Lebanese entities suffered, especially during the year 2018, and for the ease
with which attackers were able to gain access to different entities in the public
and private sectors, the need for Cyber Security in Lebanon is becoming an urgency
along with the necessity to fight malicious cyber behavior and maintain a good standard
of data security and system integrity.
Despite the timid attempts by some institutions and entities at securing their data and
systems, the initiatives implemented in Lebanon were greatly insufficient to accomplish
the desired goal. These efforts need to be integrated in a collaborative approach,
following a well-defined strategy that better defends against attacks and counters Cyber
Crime. The unorganized efforts of today, in the field of Cyber Security in Lebanon are
not achieving the desired results. Below are some of the reasons that explain the current
situation:
The absence of a unified National Cyber Security Strategy: Every institution
in both the private and public sectors has its own security vision and procedures,
which might be efficient in their current situations but makes it more difficult to
collaborate without well-defined criteria, KPIs, and, most importantly,
information sharing and a common framework at the highest level.
The absence of laws and regulations that govern cybercrimes: Lebanon lacks
laws and regulations that protect government institutions, private companies, and
cyber rights of individuals. It also has no clear definitions for criminal acts and the
consequences and implications of these criminal acts lack clarity.
The absence of a National Cyber Security Agency: Lebanon does not have a
Cyber Security Agency that implements and enforces Cyber Laws;
employs/utilizes people with the required level of expertise to assist organizations
set up their security frameworks; offers trainings; supports research and
development; and guarantees the continuity of Cyber Security awareness
programs.
June 2019
LEBANON NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY STRATEGY
8