Leaders of international organizations, enterprises, and universities gathered in Seoul to discuss a new concept of cybersecurity which is called “bright internet.” As a preemptive measure against the skyrocketing number of cyber-attacks, the notion of bright internet urges trusted individuals and corporations to voluntarily get certified and expand secure cyberspace throughout the internet.
Under the theme of a sustainable cyber environment, the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization, the United Nations Global Compact Network Korea, the Bright Internet Consortium, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and Chung-Ang University held a workshop at the Seoul Global Center on Tuesday. Lee Jae-kyu, chairman of the Bright Internet Consortium, introduced the idea of bright internet to the audience.
By focusing on the origin of information, bright internet suggests a new approach toward cybersecurity. It brings trusted parties together, instead of reacting to untrustworthy actors. In this regard, the mechanism of bright internet is compared to that of credit cards, which are based on users’ trust. Credit card users voluntarily certify themselves in order to use cards. The Bright Internet Consortium expects that the same logic can be applied to internet usage.
According to the consortium, bright internet consists of six principles: origin responsibility, deliverer responsibility, identifiable anonymity, global collaborative search, privacy protection, and internet peace. Because bright internet aims to increase the level of sustainability on the internet, it can be interpreted as an ESG approach.
From the ESG investing industry, NH-Amundi Asset Management, Ernst & Young Han Young, SAP, Samsung Electronics, KT, and SK attended the workshop. “ESG investors pursue sustainable growth,” said Choi Yong-hwan, Head of ESG Research Team at NH-Amundi Asset Management. “Recently, the importance of information security has been emphasized among institutional investors. Cybersecurity should be considered to be a part of value chain and impact investing, which includes local societies and environments.”
