A man walks past a stand during the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC) held at the Dubai Trade Center, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on March 14, 2023. Various companies operating in the field of Cyber Security take part in GISEC. (PHOTO: VCG)

By TANG Zhexiao

Cyber-attacks may occur every single day.

People think that cybersecurity is something that's highly technical. Yes, some roles require deep technical expertise, but cybersecurity is a vast domain, said Bobby Ford, chief security officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, in the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023.

According to the research, which examines the cybersecurity trends, 91 percent of all respondents believed that a far-reaching, catastrophic cyber event is likely happen in the next two years.

Latin American and Caribbean countries were beset with unprecedented cyber threats last year. Costa Rica's Revenue Service suffered a ransomware attack in May 2022, forcing citizens to pay taxes by hand, reported Global Americans, a think tank which provides analysis and opinions.

In October 2022, a group called Guacamaya hacked Mexico's Defense Ministry, causing a massive leak of secret government and military documents.

China has continued to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation in cyberspace for years. It released Global Initiative on Data Security in 2020, calling for all states to "take a balanced approach to technological progress, economic development and protection of national security and public interests."

With an open and inclusive attitude to promote global data security governance, the country had established international partnership with 274 computer network emergency response organizations in 81 countries and regions as of 2021.

In 2022, the State Council Information Office issued a white paper, calling for jointly building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

The National Conference on Cybersecurity and Information Technology Application held this mid July emphasized that international exchanges and pragmatic cooperation should be deepened in cyberspace affairs, while cyber legislation, law enforcement and administration of justice should also be strengthened.

Apart from signing memorandums to step up cooperation in cybersecurity with Indonesia and Thailand, China held two sessions of cyber dialogue with ASEAN, reaching agreement to ensure the peace, security and resilience in cyberspace through dialogue and cooperation.

As cyber risks intensify, cybercrime and cyberterrorism have become a global scourge, governments around the world are stepping up their efforts to combat the rising digital threats.

The operation "First Light 2022", running from March to June last year by Interpol, saw 76 countries take part in an international clampdown on the organized crime groups behind telecommunications and social engineering scams, according to Interpol's official brief.

Cybercrime, especially ransomware, is a global problem, Gabby Portnoy, director general of Israel's National Cyber Directorate, told csoonline.com. "We have to deliver, of course, internally on the state level but also internationally," he added.

"There needs to be a collaborative and coherent response to these [ransomware] threats, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been working closely with Member States to strengthen their national and cross-border operational capacity to respond to ransomware," said Alexandru Caciuloiu, UNODC cybercrime and cryptocurrency advisor for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

According to Cao Shumin, vice-minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country stands ready to partner with other countries to make the Internet more beneficial to humanity and contribute to building a fair, open, inclusive, safe, stable and energetic cyberspace.