Skopje, 21 February 2023 (MIA) - The Government at a session on Tuesday, at the proposal of Deputy PM for good governance policies Slavica Grkovska, adopted a set of measures to step up the security of information systems in institutions. The measures are to be implemented in the shortest possible time in every institution in the public sector. 

 

The measures come after a series of activities for coordination with donors and stakeholders in the area of cyber security, aimed at building resilience in public institutions that are more often the target of cyber attacks, the Government said in a press release. 

 

In that regard, the Government tasked the bodies of the state administration, and instructed the institutions that are not bodies of the state administration, to appoint a person in charge of information security in their organizations in order to timely report incidents and exchange information about incidents, vulnerability, threats and risks related to the security of information systems to the National Center for Computer Incident Response MKD-CIRT.

The bodies of the state administration are also instructed, and institutions that are not bodies of the state administration are advised, to submit certain information to the National Center for Computer Incident Response MKD-CIRT, in order to register/update for the Center's services.

"The bodies of the state administration are instructed, and the institutions that are not bodies of the state administration are advised to have their employees registered and have them complete cyber security training. In addition, it is necessary for the bodies of the state administration to make an implementation plan and provide an estimate of the financial implications of the measures to the National Center for Computer Incident Response MKD-CIRT," reads the press release. 

The Government also recommended the National Center for Computer Incident Response MKD-CIRT within the Agency for Electronic Communications to submit to the Government a report on a free external cyber security check of the web applications of registered institutions.

The measures adopted are of high priority due to protection of the IT systems of public sector institutions, which is why the Government has recommended that the measures be implemented in the shortest possible time in every institution in the public sector, with the primary goal of protecting the systems for services to the citizens.