Digitization in Romania is very low despite its 11 million internet users

Digitization in Romania is low despite the advance in IT services and software development. According to Cert-RO, there are 11 million internet users in Romania – more than half of the entire population – but the country ranks at the bottom of the Digitization Index, according to Catalin Arama, the general manager of the National Center for Response to Cyber Security Incidents (Cert-RO).

“Talking about digitization, we can say that this is a one way process. We, in fact, have a digital life. We already have a component in our present and very important life: if we are talking about cyber security, from our point of view, the information and innovation that penetrate our lives obviously come with vulnerabilities, and if we take care of dealing with these vulnerabilities, they cannot turn into a threat that can lead to cyber-security incidents. The digitization process has made cyber security no longer be an optional component. Investments in the digitalized area and digital education are happening in all countries. Romania is on the bottom of the digitization index but this refers to the small number of electronic services, although there are 11 million internet users in Romania,” said Arama.

The CERT-RO Chief added that cyber security is a shared responsibility, and the reporting of IT incidents is very important.

“Cyber security is a common responsibility, a cumulation of what each sector does to protect information systems. Procedures and people speak the same language in cybersecurity, and we began discussions with all sectors, including the banking sector. We are in talks with a series of banks to create a platform for intelligence about the incidents they are subjected to. People tend to lose confidence in banks when it comes to cyber incidents. Reporting an incident is very important, as nearly 87 percent of the IPs involved in different cyber-security incidents belong to vulnerable systems, ie, outdated, unsecured software, indicating a level of non-mature digital education, including those operating such systems,” said Arama.