Cybersecurity: Deloitte has called on governments to mitigate threats of disruption to their own operations and to business to ensure orderly growth

[deloitte] Governments everywhere need to address cybersecurity to mitigate the threat of disruption to government operations and commerce and to enable sustainable economic growth.

Cyberspace, which began as an electronic add-on to other domains such as land and sea commerce, is today a domain unto itself. Cyberculture is growing more rapidly than cybersecurity due to the accelerated growth of Internet-enabled devices and machinery, and thus everything that depends on cyberspace is at risk. Private data, intellectual property, cyber infrastructure, and even military and national security can all be compromised by deliberate attacks, inadvertent security lapses, and the vulnerabilities of a relatively immature, unregulated global Internet. Additionally, the current global financial crisis has led to greater economic inequality and created an impetus for frustrated workers to engage in cyber-wrongdoing, including possible fraud and even espionage.

Deloitte's Global Public Sector group recently interviewed cybersecurity specialists from around the world to gain insight into this cross-border issue. The resulting report, "Cybersecurity: Everybody's imperative," provides a global overview of cybersecurity culture and issues from various regions and emphasizes the need for a holistic and transnational solution involving more than technology. The report also suggests that governments need to do their part to encourage accountability and offer incentives for the private sector.

Ultimately, an effective cybersecurity program will have a positive impact on economies and governments around the world, which in turn should result in an increase of global commerce and better interaction between governments and those who are governed.

Focus: Cybersecurity