Experts draw attention to Turkey's need of cybersecurity for national security

Ankara-based think tank, the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), organized a panel yesterday in which experts called for an immediate cybersecurity strategy to combat cyber-threats against Turkey's national security and border security. While experts expect increased cyberattacks against Turkish authorities in 2017, they drew attention to the need to raise awareness of the cybersecurity issue and create human resources by educating engineers in this field.

Regarding Turkey's capacity in cybersecurity, SETA Security Researcher Merve Seren, emphasized that the crucial point is to produce secure software programs to protect information concerning weapon systems, battleships and cryptography. According to Seren, there are international treaties to provide cyber security; however, they are not a binder to the countries thus meaning "bloodless war" human lives as well.

STM Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. Deputy General Manager Ömer Korkut pointed out that the cyber threat is a problem for institutions rather than individuals. Korkut noted that cyberattacks have an "asymmetrical structure" and that it is not clear when and where these attacks will come. Another critical matter Korkut touched upon was the necessity to establish cybersecurity intelligence for Turkey to prevent possible cyberattacks before they emerge. The cybersecurity expert also underlined that control of security operations should be monitored and supported by senior government officials for a fast decision-making process.

Bahçeşehir University cyber security expert Selçuk Baktır stated that human sources are the foundation of a cybersecurity strategy; "Thus, qualified engineers should take a place in this field." "The definition of cybercrime should be put in a certain framework due to the current law's broad meaning because of the risk that a person doing research to find a cyber gap can also be judged by this law," he added. Analogous to previous panel participants, Forensic IT Specialist Halil Öztürkci highlighted that the cybersecurity issue is no longer a subheading subject of national defense, but the main point. Öztürkci indicated that after the Gülenist Terror Group's (FETÖ) bloody and failed coup attempt on July 15, cyberattack used to create a crisis in Turkey as follow-up coup attack thus causing Turkey to urgently take measures on the issue. Finally, experts described the ByLock app investigations as "a success in the field of cyber matter," which is operated by Turkish police forces to uncover FETÖ members' calls and messages for organizing a coup against Turkey.