The second Wednesday of July every year has been designated “Information Security Day” to preempt cyberspace attacks and to enhance public awareness toward information security. Diverse events took place to mark July as the Month of Information Security.

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC), the Ministry of Public Administration and Security (MOPAS), the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the Korea Internet Security Agency (KISA) jointly hosted and organized the International Conference on Information Security (ICIS) 2012, one of the events celebrating the Month of Information Security, at Lotte Hotel in Jamsil, eastern Seoul, on July 11. About 1,000 people, including Korean and international information security experts, participated in the conference, held under the theme “The Present and Future of Cyberspace Threats.”

KCC and KISA had previously held a joint international symposium on information security annually since 1996. The symposium has expanded into ICIS 2012 to invite experts from Korea and abroad to discuss comprehensive countermeasures against the recent developments of cyberspace threats. 

This year’s conference was divided into six sessions on enterprise, technology, government, recent trends, best practices, and international collaboration. 

KCC Chairman Lee Kye-cheol said in a speech, “ICIS 2012 is designed to discuss ways to effectively cope with global cyberspace invasions and collaborate internationally, and information security experts’ suggestions and discussions will become good references for establishing policies on information security and international collaboration.”

In a keynote speech titled “The Growth of the Cyber Threat,” Shawn Henry, a former FBI cyber cop, explained the spillover effects of cyber threats and solutions. He also touched on response strategies and ways of minimizing damages.

ICIS 2012 also coincided with a ceremony to mark the 1st Information Security Day anniversary and the 2012 Knowledge Information Security Products Exhibition. 

Thirteen companies, the National Security Research Institute, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and KISA displayed their latest products and technologies at the exhibition, said Lee Jang-hoon, executive deputy chairman of the Korea Information Security Industry Association. 

Earlier on the same day at the same venue, KCC, MOPAS, NIS, and KISA jointly held a ceremony to celebrate the 1st Information Security Day anniversary.

President Lee Myung-bak delivered a video message in which he gave thanks to those who have contributed to promoting information security and developing the information security industry, and he called for thorough preparedness toward threats against an information society.

In a speech at the ceremony, MOPAS Minister Maeng Hyung-kyu said he hoped that private companies, government, and research circles would join forces to make a smart information society a safe and reliable one and make the Republic of Korea a safer nation in the informatization field. 

Ministry of Knowledge Economy Vice Minister Yoon Sang-jik said in a commemorative speech, “The government will implement ways of nurturing information security experts to brace for cyber attacks, which are getting smarter, while reinforcing information security in the domestic electricity, gas, and other energy industries.”