Asia-Pacific Information Security Leadership Achievements - ISC

Ministry of Internal Affairs & CommunicationsI would like to express my sincere respect to (ISC) 2 for their great efforts andcontributions toward fostering information security professionals through theirrenowned certification and education programs.I’m very pleased that the sixth annual Asia-Pacific ISLA celebration is being hostedin Japan this year. I would also like to extend to all of you my warmest welcome.With the recent rapid progress in ICT and various online services, growing threatsto information security have become increasingly complex and now easily affectother fields. Therefore, ensuring that information security is recognized as one ofthe most urgent priorities to address throughout the world is crucial. Establishing asafe and secure online environment can be realized through collaboration amongstthe government, the private sector, experts, and general users, and it is essentialto that end, to develop outstanding information security human resources from aglobal perspective. These individuals will play a key role in each institution and/orwill engage in raising our citizens’ awareness. Because ultimately, the prevention ofinformation security threats occurring across borders depends on the specialistswho actively use and protect our technologies.I am sure that the ISLA program, which honors contributions to the improvementof the information security workforce, will encourage and motivate the nextgeneration charged with leading this field. I also expect this event to provide aprecious opportunity for information security professionals from the Asia-Pacificregion to expand and deepen their perspectives and knowledge by networkingwith other global leaders.Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation and congratulations to all ofthe honorees here tonight for their efforts and contributions, and wish for thecontinued success of ISLA in the years ahead.Mr. Yasushi Sakamoto, Deputy Director-General of Minister’s Secretariat forInformation and Communications Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunicationsMinistry of Economy, Trade and IndustryI am honored to be here this evening to celebrate the achievements of securityprofessionals and practitioners who are committed to improving the securityposture of the systems, infrastructures, and devices that we rely on every day. I praise(ISC) 2 for creating this opportunity to publically recognize the often behind thescenes work of Asia-Pacific’s information security leaders through the ISLA program.Last year’s unfortunate natural disasters caused subsequent security incidents thatmade us rethink our strategies and policies for protecting Japan’s information assets.In fact, immediately following these incidents, we established taskforces to evaluateand improve national security strategy, including security workforce development.Although plans have been developed and some already implemented, they willonly be effective long-term if government, industry stakeholders, academia, securityexperts, and our citizens work together with a cohesive, secure mindset. I commend(ISC) 2 for increasing the number of qualified information security professionalsthrough its credential and education programs in Japan and worldwide.We share (ISC) 2 ’s mission to equip securityprofessionals with the knowledge and skillsnecessary for mitigating the most prominentthreats of the present and the future. Ibelieve in the recognition that this programprovides in this industry, as it serves asa catalyst to motivate the workforceto strive for excellence worthy ofrecognition throughout their careers.Lastly, I congratulate all of this year’shonorees, and hope you enjoy theevening of celebrations. I encourage youto take advantage of this networking andknowledge sharing platform in an effort tocontinuously improve your skill sets and career.Best wishes for the continued success of theAsia-Pacific ISLA program for years to come.Mr. Toru NakayamaDeputy Director-GeneralCommerce and Information Policy BureauMinistry of Economy, Trade and Industry- 4 - - 5 -