lighting, Diplomacy

[Webinar] Evidence and measurement in IG: What sort of data and numbers are we talking about?

28 October 2014 -

Online

Event description

The October IG webinar will focus on ‘Evidence and measurement in IG: What sort of data and numbers are we talking about?’. The theme is the third of the preparatory events for the Geneva Internet Conference, a process which is tackling relevant themes with the input of communities around the globe. The previous two preparatory events discussed how to overcome policy silos, and the avenues for addressing IG issues. The outcomes of the thematic discussions will feed into the Geneva Internet Conference.

[Update] Join the ongoing discussion here: What can be done to bring more evidence in IG, using what concrete tools and techniques? How should an IG observatory, which would gather and prepare such evidence, function?
[Update] The webinar recording and digest are now available here.
 

Speakers:

  • Dr Jovan Kurbalija, Director of DiploFoundation, head of the Geneva Internet Platform
  • Dr Lichia Yiu, Director of the Centre for Socio-Economic Development, Geneva
  • Mr Michael Kende, Chief Economist of the Internet Society
  • Dr Eduardo Gelbstein, Former Director of the UN Computing Center (tbc)

Background

Paradoxically, although the Internet is an engineering artefact, we have very little data relevant for Internet Governance (IG). In cybersecurity, for example, we are still in doubt about the number of threats and the size of the losses incurred. The same applies in other IG fields. Without understanding the scope of the problem, it is difficult to discuss possible solutions. What can be done to bring more evidence in IG, using what concrete tools and techniques? How should an IG observatory, which would gather and prepare such evidence, function?

[New] Background document: An overview of the cybersecurity challenge.
[New] Annex: Mindmaps – An overview of the cybersecurity challenge

Topics for discussion

The event will provide an overview of what is the evidence-based approach to Internet governance and highlight lessons from the fields of cybersecurity, e-commerce, and development.

Policy-makers and, increasingly more engaged general public are looking for answers to the questions such as:

  • What is the contribution of the Internet to development and poverty reduction?
  • What was the financial cost of the largest cybersecurity incident in a company (or in a country)?
  • What are the most common causes of cybersecurity incidents (expressed as a % of all causes)?

This list can be extended considerably. The real issue is to identify ways to make the best use of metrics and available evidence to support policy development in digital policies and IG.

Registration is now closed.

The Geneva Internet Conference, organised by the Geneva Internet Platform with the support of the Swiss government, will address critical issues, gaps, and future developments in Internet governance (IG) and digital politics. We invite you to reflect on evidence-based Internet governance in your country and region. For example, are statistics on cybercrime available? Do you have data on risks for your critical infrastructure? What is the level of dependence on economy on the Internet? Read more about how to overcome policy silos, and avenues for addressing IG issues, and follow the links to the discussion forums to share your reflections.