On July 6, 2022, the Government of Moldova adopted the decision to create a Coordinating Council for Information Security (Council). The Council has consultative and operational responsibilities, to estimate the level of danger on information security at national level and propose actions to resolve the reported incidents. Its core function is to promote and coordinate measures to implement information and cybersecurity policies in a democratic society in the light of the development of technology, legal and other relations in the information sector, both at national and international level.
The Council's activity will be focused on four segments, with four different groups responsible for each segment:
- Cybernetic – identifying and examining security incidents;
- Operational – identifying news that could affect the country's information security;
- Media – assessing the factors that could harm the institutional integrity of the media on virtual platforms;
- Civic-private – with different responsibilities, including the presentation of cases of human rights violations regarding free access to information resources.
The first two groups consist of representatives of public institutions and the justice sector. The last two groups include also CSOs, media public institutions and IT companies. The media group consists of 10 members, of which 6 are representatives of CSOs. The civic-private group consists of 7 members, of which 4 are representatives of CSOs.
The Council will meet in ordinary sessions once a semester or in extraordinary meetings. Its operational activity consists of:
- elaborating the complex of measures to react to dangers, risks and threats of information and cyber security; and
- carrying out the necessary actions by public and private legal entities at departmental, interinstitutional, sectoral, intersectoral or national level, according to the normative framework that regulates the activity of the components of the information society.
The initiative is part of the Information Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova for 2019-2024 and aims to "ensure a high level of information and cyber security." The Council will also monitor the activity of public and private legal entities responsible for the implementation of the Action Plan of the Information Security Strategy.
The Council is potentially an important body that will ensure better enjoyment of the freedom of expression, access to information and in general digital rights in Moldova. It is also an important mechanism for involvement and input from CSOs.