Istanbul: Experts discuss Cyberpolitics, Cybersecurity

By Gozde Bayar

ISTANBUL (AA) - The third Bosphorus International Conference on Cyberpolitics, Cybersecurity and International Relations kicked off on Friday in Istanbul.

The conference, organized annually by the Cyberpolitik Journal, hosted various cyber security experts and academics from different countries to discuss the latest trends and innovations.

"We are moving through something totally different than previous stages," Bilal Sambur said in the opening speech, arguing that humanity was in the midst of a "cyber revolution".

Sambur, who co-chairs Cyberpolitik, said the cyber revolution would bring many developments including artificial intelligence and nanotechnology.

Though humans are currently the fundamental actors and creators of cyber space, robots would also soon make their debut, he said.

He highlighted that cyber technology and its impacts were not solely issues of governments or computer engineers, but also of those who think about the future of humankind.

-Cyber space: The fifth domain

Murat Tumay highlighted that cyber space has been gradually dominating social life with each passing day.

"Following the land, sea, air and space, cyber space is the fifth domain," said Tumay.

While cyber space brought opportunities as well as threats, he asserted that the positive outweighed the negative and that people could not give up being online.

"Cyber security is a team sport. We need to fight the dark side all together," Tumay said, urging all stakeholders including governments, individuals and organizations to act collectively.

Conference chair Nezir Akyesilmen said all countries were at risk of cyber-attack, stressing that cyber space was "anarchic in nature".

"No one can control cyber space, [not] even the U.S.," said Akyesilmen, noting that the U.S. was the most attacked country in the world," said Akyesilmen.

He added that a globally-binding international agreement has yet to be reached.

Though governments have been trying to securitize cyber space, Akyesilmen underlined that it lacked any boundaries.

Also speaking at the event, this reporter discussed the issues of cyber peace and digital citizenship.

Gozde Bayar underlined that neither parents nor teachers could completely control how students used technology, and that "digital citizenship" classes should be given in classrooms.

Bayar, who is also a graduate student in International affairs, said digital citizen was someone who "has the knowledge and skills to effectively use technology and communicate with others."

Stressing the importance for teachers to educate students in the legal consequences of their online activities, she added that a person’s online behavior constituted their "digital footprints."