Sberbank participates in first Annual Gathering of WEF Centre for Cybersecurity

The first Annual Gathering of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity ended today with calls to action and the launch of several new initiatives by more than 140 cybersecurity experts from government, business, academia and law enforcement.

The participants discussed the cyberthreats that the global community is facing and exiting barriers that need to be removed to ensure a cyberspace that serves as a trusted and secure backbone for the Fourth Industrial Revolution if its opportunities are to be realized.

The experts identified major challenges that need to be overcome to fight increasing cybercrime globally: lack of trust, lack of cooperation and a lack of adequate skills. They also acknowledged the need for information exchange between the private and public sectors and law enforcement.

Herman Gref, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Sberbank:

“Cybercrime has no borders. It affects every company, every industry and every country – therefore, we can’t fight it alone. The World Economic Forum is one of very few international organizations that understands the scale of the growing cyberthreat. The Forum’s efforts in connecting leaders from various countries and industries in times of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are absolutely invaluable. As a Founding Partner of the Centre for Cybersecurity, we believe that this initiative represents a huge leap forward in the global fight against cybercrime – by pooling resources with all the stakeholders, we can stop the proliferation of cyberthreats and make the digital world a safer place”.

Cyberattacks are increasing in volume and sophistication, affecting an ever-greater number of people and institutions. Through artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and other new technologies, the threat surface and vulnerability are growing, spinning out in new threat areas facing citizens, consumers, companies and countries. Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, stressed that cybersecurity is an absolute priority for the Forum.

The World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity was officially launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos on January 25, 2018. Since the very beginning, Sberbank has been actively engaged in preparing and developing the concept of the Centre. This year, the Forum’s representatives held the first panel discussion on the development of international cooperation against global cybercrime at the International Cybersecurity Congress (ICC), organised by Sberbank on July 5-6 in Moscow.