Government, NRDCS to develop National Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT)

by CIRT Team

NRD CS in joint venture with Norway Registers Development AS signed a two year, 912 thousand USD (including taxes) contract with Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) for the development of a modern National Cyber Defense and Cyber Security Doctrine to check the fast growing cybercrime, intellectual property theft, industrial espionage or IT infrastructure abuse.

“The government is working to create the conditions for the businesses and citizens to act in a secure and non-toxic digital environment,” Executive Director of BCC S. M. Ashraful Islam told BSS today.

He said Digitization is progressing fast in Bangladesh and Bangladesh is now one of the emerging Asian destinations for sourcing software, information-technology enabled services and business outsourcing.

“We have to protect our people, own IT services and infrastructure and that is why we have appointed an internationally reputed firm to develop a modern national cyber defense and cyber doctrine,” said Ashraf.

As per the agreement the NRDCS will establish a ‘National Computer Incidents Response Team (CIRT)’ for Bangladesh in three stages: certified BCC CIRT, government/ministry CIRT and extended CIRT as de facto National CIRT.

“During establishment of CIRT activities, the NRD CS will consult and provide technical assistance which will result in drafting mandates, regulations, applications and launching CIRT information systems while following ENISA, ISACA, Critical Security Controls and other methodologies”,
said NRDCS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Vilius Benetis.

He said the development of modern cyber defense and cyber doctrine will be legitimate, inclusive and based on deep technological knowledge in order to improve Bangladesh’s capacity to manage the risks related to digital revolution.

“Bangladesh’s new economy, largely based on the development of IT industry, is expected to improve the socio-economic condition and livelihood of people,” Dr. Vilius said, adding that protection of cyberspace is a must to grow the IT based economy.

Director of National Data Center and LICT Deputy Project Director Tarique M Barkatullah said the major activities of NRDCS will be to establish National Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT), provide training to stakeholders relating to CIRT and support the security programme of the government of Bangladesh.

The other supporting activities and deliverables include preparation of the government of Bangladesh Information Security Manual, report on Bangladesh Information Security Classification and Information Protection Tools, Telecommunication and ISPs Information Security Manual, Cybercrime Legislation, Cyber security awareness campaign and consensus building as well as CIRT trainings, he said.

Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) project Leveraging ICT for Growth, Employment and Governance (LICT) is financed by the World Bank.

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Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Government of Bangladesh (GOB). The main activities are (not limited to) encouraging and providing support for ICT related activities, formulating national ICT strategy and policy, creating standards and specifications of ICT tools for government organizations according to their necessity, working for human resource development in ICT sector.

NRD CS is a cybersecurity technology consulting, incident response and applied research company. Company focuses on the services to specialized organizations: the police, national communication regulators, the courts and corporate information security departments. NRD CS is also a facilitator of Norway Registers Development AS mission of creating a secure digital environment for states, governments, corporations and citizens.

Norway Registers Development AS (NRD AS) is development consulting, IT services and sales company, specializing in the development of national registers and other e-governance solutions. NRD brings together competences needed to promote and execute successful business environment improvement reforms in developing countries and deliver tangible results, recognizable by local and international community. NRD was established in Norway in 1995 and is a part of INVL Technology portfolio since 2011. NRD implements projects in more than 50 countries worldwide and supports business development of other INVL Technology portfolio companies in frontier markets.

CIRT Team