Microsoft helps boost Thailand’s internet security

“Throughout Microsoft’s four decades of history, we have proven beyond doubt that security, transparency and trust are matters of the highest priority,” Toni Townes-Whitley, vice president for the worldwide public sector at Microsoft Corporation, said yesterday.
“However, it takes more than just advanced technology to make all three a reality in the digital space.”
The cooperation is based on the Government Security Programme (GSP), a worldwide information-sharing initiative established in 2003 to support the efforts of governments and international organisations to protect their citizens and national infrastructure from threats and vulnerabilities.
Today, GSP is a central component in Microsoft’s efforts to build trust with governments around the world through a single legal and programmatic platform that allows nations around the globe to make better, more informed decisions on technological matters.
“Through GSP, we have a legal framework developed to achieve this (digital security) through stronger public-private partnerships across the globe,” she said.
Besides direct and indirect impacts on cybersecurity standards for signatory governments, GSP fulfils a key requirement in Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Development Plan, whose sixth strategic pillar concerns the fostering of trust in the use of digital technology through a standardised and effective regulatory framework for secure, trustworthy online activities and digital transactions.
This partnership with ETDA expands the scope of GSP to cover over 60 agencies from 36 governments worldwide, as Thailand joins the ranks of Asia-Pacific GSP signatories, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan.
“Out of over 8.8 million IP addresses in use in Thailand, we have found evidence of malware infection tied to over 2 million IPs,” said Surangkana Wayuparb, executive director of ETDA.
“This makes Thailand one of the top nations in the world in terms of malware prevalence.
“To address the situation, ETDA is working with Microsoft and a wide spectrum of partners to establish stronger defensive measures for the country and pave the way for the establishment of a full-fledged national cybersecurity centre in the future.”
ETDA’s agreement with Microsoft under GSP is expected to grow in scope next year with the addition of source code access for Microsoft products and services.