A Community-Oriented Approach to CIIP in Developing Countries

Developing countries are fast becoming players in an increasingly interconnected world. Many developing countries are making use of technological solutions to address unique challenges. However, in many cases, this growth is not accompanied with the development of appropriate information infrastructure protection structures. As technological solutions are deployed in developing countries, there will be a large number of new users gaining access to Internet-based systems. In many cases, these new users might lack the skills necessary to identify computer security threats. Inadequate cyber security measures can increase the risk and impact of cyber attacks. The development of internal structures to address Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) is dependent on the environment in which it will be deployed. Therefore, traditional CIIP structures might not adequately address the technological challenges found in developing countries. In this chapter, the authors aim to address the development of CIIP structures in developing regions by elaborating on the set of unique challenges that exist. Furthermore, they aim to present a community-oriented structure aimed at providing CIIP, in what they refer to as a “bottom-up” manner. The larger aim of CIIP structures in developing regions is to support the future development and deployment of cyber security mechanisms and to allow developing countries to play a trusted role in global cyber security efforts. Ian Ellefsen University of Johannesburg, South Africa Sebastiaan von Solms University of Johannesburg, South Africa