Cyber Security Challenges for Albania

Cyber Security is emerging more and more to the foreground as one of the key pillars in the national security architecture of NATO and non-NATO countries alike. Albania, as a NATO member, EU candidate, and also as a country in close strategic partnership with the United States, is not only responsible to guarantee its national security.  Albania is also responsible for the security of its friends and partners. As a member of the coalition against terrorism and violent extremism, and as a contributor to other security structures within NATO and the EU, Albania engages in the framework of collective security. Threats from cyberattacks are growing in frequency and complexity. The domain of cyber security is inhabited by increasingly dangerous and increasingly sophisticated challenges. Under these new conditions, Albania urgently needs to revise and consolidate its policy, legal framework and investment in the field of cyber defense.

The forum included three panels with the most renowned experts of Albania and Germany as well as high representatives of state and private sector institutions. In an open and professional debate, they discussed the cyber security policies implemented so far, as well as policies to be crafted in the future. Some of the experts who participated in the conference were Walter Unger (Senior Security Expert), Patrick O’Keeffe (Senior Security Expert), Sander Lleshaj (Advisor to the Prime Minister for National Security), Ylli Pjeternikaj (Prosecutor, Legal aspects of Cyber Crimes in Albania), Hergis Jica (Representative of Albanian Police), Rexhion Qafa (AKCESK).

The topics of the panels were:

-          “Cyberattacks” and “Cyber coalitions” as part of the NATO and German agenda in cooperation with its partner countries

-          e-Governance and the challenge of the national security in front of cyberattacks

-          Cyber Warfare through attacks and protect models