Germany’s capital is the venue for two significant conferences this November: the Cyber Security Summit – also known as CSS – and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). And Deutsche Telekom is playing an active role in both.
Some 150 government decision-makers, security experts and technology specialists gathered at the Deutsche Telekom Representative Office in Berlin to discuss current challenges of relevance to cybersecurity as it applies to foreign and security policy. Thomas Kremer, Board Member for Data Privacy, Legal Affairs and Compliance at Deutsche Telekom and host of CSS, said: "To better protect our common democratic and social values from the risks of cyberspace, we need a strong European Union that is evolving towards a Digital Security Union."
Most of all, we need to deter and prevent election interference through cyber mechanisms, in addition to fighting disinformation and extremism in the Internet. Furthermore, we must ensure freedom of access to the internet and its usage, while also recognizing the growing geopolitical importance of technology enterprises, especially when it comes to the proliferation of 5G.
Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany, emphasizes in Berlin: "The Internet does not belong to any particular person, it does not belong to any country, it belongs to all of us together, it belongs to humanity. That's why we have to see that we've already achieved a lot, but that there are still big risks and threats. By developing governance, we must ensure that development benefits everyone."
According to Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, trust is the currency of diplomacy. “And trust is therefore the currency in cyberspace as well.”
Without mutual trust among governments, business enterprises and citizens, our shared technological progress is in danger.
The Internet Governance Forum, established by the United Nations in 2006, convened this year at the Estrel Congress Center Hotel in Berlin. This conference is seen as one of the most important discussion platforms when it comes to the future of the internet. The motto for the current year is “One World. One Net. One Vision.” Leading figures from government, civil society and business discuss global trends in internet policy, legislative initiatives and proven real-world practices. This year special attention is being focused on all aspects of security and safety pertaining to data privacy, data security and safeguarding people, resources and infrastructures in the digital age - and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entire security architecture.
For many years now Deutsche Telekom has been THE security services provider in the internet age, already applying AI not only to protect its own infrastructures, but also those of its customers. One example of Deutsche Telekom’s expertise is the integration of sensors in its network so that cyberattacks can be analyzed. These sensors alone detect up to 50 million attacks every day. The cyber defense system at Deutsche Telekom analyzes about one billion items of data daily in search of information that will provide evidence of hacking. This is done with fully automated AI support. Computers are very good at recognizing patterns and quickly identifying any deviations that would indicate the occurrence of security breaches. This kind of cyber defense is thus a valuable tool for analysts.
“Global security and stability are becoming increasingly more dependent on digital security and stability. Threats to our economies and societies are on the rise. At Deutsche Telekom we are confronting these challenges and taking appropriate action,” said Wolfgang Kopf, Senior Vice President for Public and Regulatory Affairs at Deutsche Telekom. Maintaining cyber security and fighting cybercrime is a shared responsibility for us all.
