May 14, 2013

Dr. Imad Hoballah, TRA Acting Chairman and CEO, and President of the "Pan Arab Observatory for Cyber Security and Digital Economy", addressed the opening session of the "Digital Economy and Cyber Security Forum" organized by "Data & Investment" in cooperation with the "Arab Observatory for Cyber Security and Digital Economy" on Friday, May 9, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Beirut.

The event was marked by the patronage and participation of H.E the Minister of Telecommunications in the caretaker government, Mr. Nicolas Sehnaoui. This conference featured many speakers such as Mr. Maan Al Barazi, Executive Director of "Data Investment Consult" in Lebanon, Major Susan Al Hage, Head of the Cybercrime Division at the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, Mr. Nabil Abu Khaled, President of ISOC Lebanon chapter, Dr. Imad Hoballah, TRA chairman and CEO, Dr. Mona Achkar Jabbour and Dr. Dina Mawla professors at the Lebanese University, Faculty of Law, And Ms. nancy Abi Karam and Fadia Nassif.

Dr. Hoballah addressed the forum where he discussed the challenges of online governance and social media platforms. He redrew the boundaries between privacy and national security requirements. He also stressed the importance of creating awareness around Internet security and highlighted the risks of the dissemination of personal information on the net and the different ways of using and selling this information. Dr. Hoballah also stressed the need to create an National multi-stakeholder office for Cyber Security with authority to plan and implement a national Cyber security vision, and the need to adopt a national policy for developing and investing in the human capacities in Lebanon in order to raise the level of ICT in Lebanon, as well a National Economic Plan powered by ICT.