Collaborative Governance Leaders, Canada, and Senegal Exchange Notes on IoT Security Frameworks Thumbnail
Internet of Things (IoT) 18 July 2018

Collaborative Governance Leaders, Canada, and Senegal Exchange Notes on IoT Security Frameworks

By Mark BuellFormer Regional Vice President - North America
Dawit BekeleRegional Vice President - Africa

Canada and Senegal partners are meeting for a comparative learning exchange on developing robust Internet of Things (IoT) Security frameworks in Ottawa, Canada 18-19 July. The Senegalese delegation visiting Ottawa is composed of representatives from the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunication, Posts and Digital Economy, the Authority for Telecommunications and Postal Regulations, and the ISOC Senegal Chapter. They are also accompanied by Internet Society directors for North America and Africa.

The two countries are strong supporters of the collaborative governance or multistakeholder model in addressing problems they encounter as Internet technology develops. Both countries have already begun adopting the model for domestic policy development focusing on IoT security. The learning exchange is part of the Internet Society supported Internet Governance campaign activity for both countries and will explore issues of mutual interest, connect stakeholders and exchange notes on the process.

In Canada, the Internet Society partnered with Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, CANARIE, and CIPPIC to convene stakeholders to develop recommendations for a set of norms/policy to secure the Internet of Things. The partners have agreed to focus on two specific thematic areas: consumer protection and network resilience. While in Senegal, the Internet Society partnered the ISOC Senegal Chapter, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Economy and the Senegalese Commission for Data Protection to explore the same.

Canada and Senegal are amongst the countries that are leading in demonstrating the collaborative, multistakeholder model of Internet governance.  These countries are showing leadership both in the region and globally in embracing the MS model to address pertinent Internet-related issues and effectively demonstrating commitment to tackle emerging issues related to technology. These two case studies may provide a powerful benchmark for using the MS model in addressing critical Internet issues in both the developed and developing world.

The focus subject matter, IoT is an evolving area and is changing rapidly and organically. New capabilities are added and new security weaknesses are being discovered almost every day. Understanding the growing impact that IoT security has on the Internet and its users is critical for safeguarding the future of the Internet. IoT manufacturers, IoT service providers, users, standards developing organizations (SDOs), policymakers, and regulators will all need to take action to protect against threats to Internet infrastructure, such as IoT-based DDoS attacks.

Do you know the risks of what you’re buying? Get IoT smart!

Disclaimer: Viewpoints expressed in this post are those of the author and may or may not reflect official Internet Society positions.

Related articles

Building Trust 5 December 2019

Rural Development Special Interest Group Organizes Internet Connectivity Tag 2019

In November, the Internet Society Rural Development Special Interest Group (RD SIG) organized an event called the Internet Connectivity Tag 2019 in Bangalore,...

Building Trust 14 November 2019

IoT Security Policy Platform Wants to Raise the Bar On Global IoT Security

By next year, five Internet of Things (IoT) devices are projected to be in use for every person on...

Building Trust 2 October 2019

Celebrating National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Every October, we mark National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website, “Held every October,...