Law needed for data sharing to combat cybercrime: group

A law needs to be crafted to encourage greater collaboration on cybersecurity among private and public sector players, a cybersecurity advocacy group said on Friday.

Jonathan John Paz of the TrustTech Movement said that as e-commerce surged in the last few years, so has cybercrime.

Paz, who is also the Enterprise Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer of BPI, said greater information sharing is needed within the digital ecosystem.

"Sharing right now is tactical rather than strategic, absent what I have mentioned earlier, a robust legal and regulatory framework which encourages information sharing," Paz said in an interview with ANC.

Cybersecurity players need to share timely information on who is behind cybercrime, instances of cyberattacks, and best practices on security.

He noted the recent spate of ransomware attacks and added that the barrier to entry to launch this has fallen.

"There is such a thing as ransomware as a Service, offering tools and services and after sales."

Organized crime groups have also risen who are not techies but with contacts in the dark web. Players have also multiplied, from Russia, North Korea and China, he said.

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