Editor’s Note: ETSI White Paper No. 1; Security for ICT – the Work of ETSI by Carmine Rizzo and Charles Brookson is available here.
From: ETSI
FOREWORD
The increasingly rapid evolution and growth in the complexity of new systems and networks, coupled with the sophistication of changing threats and the presence of intrinsic vulnerabilities, present demanding challenges for maintaining the security of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems and networks. To minimize exposure to risks, security must be built in from the beginning when designing new architectures, not added on later as an optional feature.
In the past few years Security has moved on apace, with areas such as Cybersecurity, Cloud, Mobile, Machine to Machine producing more requirements. We have seen demands placed by the growing threat of criminal activities and risks to critical infrastructure. Sensitivity towards the privacy of the citizen and of his data is increasing but is lagging behind the rollout of new services and applications which depend on a culture of openness and sharing.
As a response to such challenges, Security standards are essential to ensure interoperability among systems and networks, compliance with legislation and adequate levels of security. These standards provide the means for protecting the user, creating a more secure and profitable environment for the industrial sector, from SMEs to large global companies, and providing benefits for a diverse range of interest groups that include government organizations, research bodies and universities.
ETSI is an independent, non-profit organization, with 25 years of experience of successfully pursuing its mission to produce globally-applicable ICT standards. It has always maintained a strong focus on security matters.
ETSI is committed to the establishment and continuous improvement of effective and interoperable telecommunications systems for the benefit of the global community. Addressing security issues in all ICT areas, protecting citizens in emergency scenarios, and combating global climate change by lowering power consumption are examples which highlight some of ETSI’s commitments. ETSI continues to intensify its focus on matters related to security innovation by participating actively in EU security research and innovation initiatives which aim to provide Europe, and the rest of the world, with the tools necessary to create a secure environment for the global citizen.
Standardization activities carried out within various ETSI Technical Committees, Working Groups, Industry Specification Groups and Partnership Projects cover a broad spectrum of security issues, of which this White Paper provides an overview.
Carmine Rizzo, ETSI Security Standardization Projects, ETSI Secretariat
Charles Brookson, Chairman, ETSI OCG Security
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