When the wind of competitive intelligence blows in Africa « Competitive Intelligence in Central Africa

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Russia and the United States are discussing how best to safeguard the internet against hostile attacks.

The talks, which are taking place between the US, Russia and a United Nations arms control committee, are aimed at finding ways of strengthening internet security and limiting the military use of cyberspace, according to a report in the New York Times.

Online attacks against government websites, corporate computer systems and other business-critical infrastructures have increased in the last two years. Anonymous hackers have managed to access the Pentagon’s computers and overwhelm government websites, and President Obama has ordered an urgent review of the United States’ internet security.

A number of countries are developing “cyber weapons” that can be deployed against online targets to disable critical computer networks that control power stations or government departments. Other cyber weapons are capable of covertly monitoring activity on “enemy” computer networks, and feeding it back to a central computer.

According to the New York Times, the talks between Russia and the US mark a “significant” shift in policy. Sources close to the discussions said the Obama administration was particularly aware of the growing threat posed by cyber warfare, and was seeking a “new approach” to deal with the problem.

Traditionally, the Russians have argued that an international treaty, similar to that used to limit the spread of nuclear and chemical weapons, could also be used to see off the challenges military cyber activity poses to the civilian internet. But the United States has said that it’s impossible to draw a physical line in a virtual world between the commercial and military uses of software.

Viktor Sokolov, deputy director of the Institute of Information Security in Moscow, said that the US position on internet security had changed in recent months: “The talks took place in a good atmosphere,” he told the New York Times. “And they agreed to continue this process. There are positive movements.”

The United Nations talks will resume in January, and both the US and Russia plan to attend an internet security conference in Germany later in the year.

Claudine Beaumont, Technology Editor

When the wind of competitive intelligence blows in Africa

In Competitive intelligence, Economic intelligence in Africa, strategic intelligence on December 16, 2008 by Admin. Tagged: CI in Africa, Competitive intelligence, Economic defense, strategic intelligence

Seminar of economic intelligence for the senior officials of public administration on November 27 in Dakar, conference on “the economic intelligence and technological survey…” on November 19 in Libreville, international meeting on “Competitiveness and accumulation of competences in universalization…” on November 13-14 in Rabat, 2^nd sittings of economic intelligence on November 10 in Algiers… The wind of competitive intelligence (CI) wich blew in Africa this 11^th month of the year deserves our attention.

From Libreville to Dakar

In Gabon, Prosper Tonda Mabenda of the Group of studies and research on communication (GERC*) attached to the Institute of research in social sciences (IRSH*) of the university Omar Bongo (UOB*) harnessed itself to decipher the stakes and to sensitize the public and private actors with the virtues of the competitive intelligence for Gabon. Tonda Mabenda militates for the creation of a “national pole of economic intelligence around the vital sectors, and in which the university and research will play an eminently strategic part”.

In Senegal, the seminar organized by the Center of diplomatic and strategic studies (CEDS*) and the stations and telecommunications regulation Agency (ARTP*) has been presented by the authorities as the starting point of a public policy of competitive intelligence to Senegal. This meeting profited from the expertise of the School of economic warfare of Paris (EGE*). An executive training with a high diploma specialized in economic and strategic intelligence should see the day as of January 2009 within the CEDS of Dakar.

From Rabat to Algiers

In Morocco, the participants of the international meeting organized under the patronage of Its Majesty King Mohammed VI insisted on the necessary partnership of private education and public sectors to face the challenges of globalization. They pled for the State assistance to the creation of perennial CI devices within the territorial collectivities and the companies. Very soon, a high level CI training should start in Morocco on the model of the specialized cycle of the school economic warfare of Paris.

In Algeria, the matter was the beginning of the CI practices implementation for 2009. Organized by the VIP Group, the 2^nd CI sitting attracted public and private administrations’ executives. After the adoption of a bill against the cybercriminality by the Council of Ministers, Algiers awaits from now on the nomination of a CI director to the ministry of industry. This awakening on the role of the competitive intelligence in Africa is remarkable. However, it calls some warning statements.

Africans together

There is no competitive intelligence without strategy. The will of our States to build national CI devices is a long-life engagement. But the hyperpolitisation of the decision-making centres is a brake. In the absence of independent experts who are able to think the strategy of the State on 15-25 years, it will always miss the dynamic cohesion that gives results in the duration. Moreover, having an official CI device is a matter of economic sovereignty and patriotism. The place left by the African CI actors on the ground of the knowledge production is now occupied by competitors, but it would be regrettable to be unaware of their potential. In addition, our relationships with certain countries should not influence our choices. Japan, China or the United States have more powerful CI devices closer to our cultural matrices.

If by misfortune, some barrier was to prevent us from reaching the best practices, the African competitive intelligence would only be the continuation of our errors by other means.

Guy Gweth

*The initials are all in French.

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When the wind of competitive intelligence blows in Africa

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