16/10/2015 at the Maison de la Chimie

This morning, the government presented its national digital security strategy in the presence of Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Axelle Lemaire at the Maison de la Chimie.

Drawn up in collaboration with all the ministries, and in particular the ANSSI (Agence Nationale pour la Sécurité des Systèmes d'Information) and the SGDSN (Secrétariat Général de la Défense et de la Sécurité Nationale), this strategy has 5 objectives:

1. Giving ourselves the means to defend our fundamental interests in cyberspace by consolidating the digital security of our critical infrastructures and those of operators essential to the economy
# Fundamental interests, defence and security of State IS and critical infrastructures

The Director of ANSSI believes that digital security depends on the long-term commitment of everyone involved in its construction: the human factor is essential. He also called for cooperation and coordination between all the players involved, whether they be researchers, government and public authorities, or company directors. In this respect, he pointed out that CIOs have a colossal responsibility with regard to the personal data of company members, the company's information assets and financial investments. The CIO is, in his words, the pillar of a company's survival, and his strategic role must be taken into account by company management.

The Chairman of the CNNum (French National Digital Council), for his part, insisted on encryption as a solution for securing information systems and exchanges.

Lastly, Manuel Valls reiterated the strong measures taken by the government to increase the number of ministerial staff, to strengthen the IS of vital operators, notably by means of future ministerial decrees by sector of activity on the measures to be implemented, and the numerous calls for projects launched to develop cyber security.

2. Develop a use of cyberspace in line with its values and protect the digital life of its citizens by stepping up the fight against cybercrime and assistance to victims of cyber-malicious acts.
#Confiance numérique, vie privée, données personnelles, cybermalveillance

Manuel Valls pointed out that technological progress can be a source of vulnerability, which means that we need to establish trust between all the players involved, particularly citizens

For the Ministry of the Interior, it is a question of protection and prevention, in particular, as the SGDSN points out, through the assistance scheme for victims of cyber-malicious attacks, which will be introduced in 2016.

According to Axelle Lemaire, this focus on citizens is primarily concerned with new principles such as the right to be forgotten, digital death and the control of personal data. We therefore need to build cyberspace using participatory methods and citizen cooperation. It has done this by signing the telecommunications operators' charter.

3. Raise awareness of digital security and responsible behaviour in cyberspace from school onwards, and continue with initial higher education and continuing education courses by including a section on digital security adapted to the sector in question.
#S Awareness-raising, initial training, continuing training

The issues involved in raising awareness relate to :
- Companies using the digital transition network from the Directorate General for Enterprise
- Citizens (e.g. the CIGREF "Hack Academy" campaign).

According to the director of the ANSSI, the link is made by customers, who must demand security for their devices: connected objects, for example.

4. Develop an ecosystem favourable to research and innovation and make digital security a factor of competitiveness, in particular by supporting the development of the economy and the international promotion of its digital products and services and by ensuring the availability of suitable products and services for its citizens, businesses and administrations.
#Environment of digital companies, industrial policy, export and internationalisation

This ecosystem includes
- Business support from the DGE
- The development of French Tech

According to the ANSSI, competitiveness in terms of security necessarily involves a risk analysis of factors, architecture, coding rules, cost evaluation, etc. According to Axelle Lemaire, cybersecurity is important in all sectors of the economy (e.g. Chrysler), but it must be implemented by giving priority to business innovation.

On this subject, TV5 Monde shared its experience of the piracy it suffered last April and the consequences of this attack: digital sites damaged, precarious working conditions with a ban on using a Wifi network, loss of certain distribution contracts, competitive and budgetary disadvantage and, finally, insurance problems.

RATP also presented its efforts to prioritise the security and quality of its networks in terms of prevention, awareness, protection, control and real-time detection of attacks.

5. To be the driving force, together with willing Member States, for European strategic digital autonomy by playing an active role in promoting a secure, stable and open cyberspace.
1TP5Europe, digital sovereignty, stability in cyberspace

The Chairman of CNNum, together with Manuel Valls and Axelle Lemaire, spoke of the historic opportunity offered by the CJEU ruling of 6 October 2015 invalidating Safe Harbor and to build an Internet of Europe with its own principles and values.

These initiatives also concern the reform of ICANN, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be attending.

New European initiatives are also underway: new regulations on personal data, discussions on a draft new directive on security, economic diplomacy and increased exchanges on the subject between Member States and allies.

In his address, the Prime Minister called on everyone to implement this strategy by demonstrating
- openness to dialogue between the private and public sectors and to the international dimension
- vigilance with regard to current threats, the risk of dispersing resources and the French and international legal framework.