ICT

Data protection - a key issue

The adoption of Smart ICT technologies across all economic sectors means that we can, nowadays, collect, process and analyse ever larger volumes of data. The protection of such data remains a key concern.

Question for Jean-Marie Reiff ,
Director of the ILNAS

Jean-Marie-Reiff, Director of the Luxembourg Institute for Standardisation, Accreditation, Security and the Quality of Products and Services ("ILNAS" or "Institut luxembourgeois de la normalisation, de l'accréditation, de la sécurité et qualité des produits et services" in French), provides an overview of the White Paper aimed at data and privacy protection in the context of Smart ICTs.

Could you describe the content and objective of the new White Paper entitled "Data Protection and Privacy in Smart ICT"?

The White Paper entitled "Data Protection and Privacy in Smart ICT" was published on 12 October 2018. It came into being with the support of the Ministry of Economy within the framework of the Luxembourg standardising strategy and the research programme "Technical standardisation for reliable use in the field of Smart ICT". This programme was established in 2017 by the ILNAS in partnership with the University of Luxembourg through its Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT).

The first outcome of this partnership is this White Paper. It offers state-of-the-art research and technical standardisation in the field of Data Protection and Privacy in Smart ICTs. The publication is made available to the national market in order to encourage ownership of the concepts and issues relating to data protection and confidentiality in the context of Smart ICTs. It highlights the fact that the various challenges associated with Smart ICTs find some key answers within standardisation and technical work. Consequently, the White Paper is mainly geared towards the market's involvement in associated technical standardisation processes, so as to ensure that the future technical standards of the field take national interests into account.

19-11-2018

Having a strong capacity for renewal is the essential drive to face competition within a global economy that is constantly changing. In the last few years, Luxembourg has grown stronger through the development of innovative technological businesses, whether in the sphere of electronic business, digital content, cloud computing, Big Data or e-payments.

In other words, in terms of digital progress, the Grand Duchy experienced a significant boost in recent years. Today, Luxembourg is among the leading countries of the European Union in this field, just behind Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland) and the Netherlands.

At a later stage, the objective is to strengthen and consolidate the country's position in the field of ICT in order to, among other considerations, diversify the economy. "Digital Lëtzebuerg" is the name of the institution behind this digital transformation; Luxembourg's new face as a smart nation: a modern, open, highly connected nation that is good to go for a digital society.

In a meeting with Pascal Steichen, CEO of the economic interest grouping known as Securitymadein.lu, he tells us why Luxembourg is setting an example to follow when it comes to cybersecurity.

1. Luxembourg ranked 1^st in the world for ICT access and 10^th regarding ICT use. In what way does Luxembourg benefit from being a privileged location for companies in the ICT sector?

One of the main benefits is the development of a service-based economy. The high level of equipment and connectivity means that businesses can develop innovative services supported by a high performance digital infrastructure and a very receptive audience.

What's more, the country's size means that it is an ideal environment for innovations to thrive. Last but not least, for over a decade, the government has been strongly and actively supporting digitalisation and cybersecurity as cornerstones of the country's development strategy.

2. In what way is Luxembourg the example to follow in terms of data protection?

Luxembourg set very high standards right from the start for data and personal data protection, well before the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into the picture. As cybersecurity has also been a priority for a long time, it is obvious that these two concerns evolved hand in hand and reinforce one another.

In that ideal duet, cybersecurity is sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, which makes it an argument of economic attractiveness for the Grand Duchy, which is relatively unique in Europe. As for data protection, it thrives on cybersecurity's progress. For example, the "CNPD" (National Commission for Data Protection - "Commission nationale pour la protection des données" in French) supports the use of AIL tools (developed by the CIRCL (Computer Incident Response Centre)), which can detect and analyse data leaks on the dark web.

(Article written by the editorial team of the luxembourg.lu portal)

1. Luxembourg ranked 1st in the world for ICT access and 10th regarding ICT use. In what way does Luxembourg benefit from being a privileged location for companies in the ICT sector?

2. In what way is Luxembourg the example to follow in terms of data protection?

1. Luxembourg ranked 1^st in the world for ICT access and 10^th regarding ICT use. In what way does Luxembourg benefit from being a privileged location for companies in the ICT sector?