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Algeria must accelerate its transformation towards the digital economy by taking the cybersecurity turn following the electroshock of the global computer bug of July 19. This was indicated on Wednesday by Souheil Guessoum, president of the Digital Union and CEO of Alpha Computer.
Guessoum noted that the recent computer bug has caused the global economy to lose astronomical sums and warned states about the vulnerability of digital systems. “The direct and indirect financial impact of this bug is estimated at tens of billions of dollars. The company Crowdstrike, responsible for this $80 billion malfunction, lost more than $8 billion, and Microsoft recorded a loss of nearly $90 billion,” he said.
He thus argued that this global incident, far from being a simple accident, highlights the growing fragility of our societies in the face of cyberattacks and the urgent need to strengthen national cybersecurity.
For the specialist, this should encourage us to accelerate the development of the national digital economy to face the vagaries of digitalization but above all to strengthen national cybersecurity.
He assured that “we must move very quickly to catch up on the accumulated delay in this area. Certainly, we are making progress with the upcoming arrival of the Data Center, and this is a big step forward, but, in my opinion, not quickly enough as the global geopolitical situation suggests.”
The digital specialist explained that with a global average of digital GDP of 15.5%, peaking at 30% for some countries such as China, Algeria, with 3%, must place the acceleration of the shift towards the digital economy as a national priority. He affirmed that “we absolutely must build our digital economy in a much faster way”, ensuring that “it is a national priority because it is digitalization that will bring us transparency, efficiency and the possibility of moving faster in the other sector of the digital economy.”
To do this, he recommended accelerating the development of the national digital economy by relying on local skills and investing massively in research and development.
He specified that Algeria has significant assets in this area, with schools of engineering and artificial intelligence. “The Higher School of Computer Science and the School of Artificial Intelligence produce hundreds of highly qualified engineers each year,” he noted.
However, he deplored the fact that “more than 90% of these engineers end up working abroad”, due to the lack of attractive working conditions and remuneration. To reverse this trend and retain these precious talents, it is essential, according to the specialist, to implement a salary revaluation policy and to create an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship. Mr. Guessoum also recommended increasing support for the creation of start-ups and efficient digital infrastructures, in particular by relaxing the legal framework concerning the granting of approvals and authorizations necessary for the promotion of the sector.
Furthermore, he considered that the July 19 bug should serve as a wake-up call for the Algerian authorities and encourage them to take concrete measures to strengthen national cybersecurity. This includes, in particular, strengthening the national cybersecurity strategy and adopting strict regulations to protect sensitive data and infrastructure. Mr. Guessoum was keen to emphasize the importance of starting with basic infrastructure, insisting that “it is essential to preserve our infrastructure while building it.” He specified that “we must start by building basic infrastructure and then protect it with cybersecurity tools.”
Souheil Guessoum also noted the importance of developing cybersecurity training programs for businesses and administrations, encouraging research and development in the field and supporting the creation of companies specializing in data security.
While considering that the road ahead may seem long and arduous, the specialist felt that the stakes are high and that by capitalizing on the potential of its young talents, Algeria can position itself as a major player in the global digital transformation and ensure its prosperity.