INTERVIEW
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING THREAT SPECTRUM WITH REAL-TIME INFORMATION Security is no longer just a matter of protecting national borders and military infrastructure. Today, a nation’s sovereignty stands or falls with the integrity of its communications, power and transportation grid, and its energy production and public health facilities. This reinforces the need for better realtime information and flexible, evolving technology, emphasizes Juergen Dold, President, GSI, at Hexagon AB, in an interview with Geospatial World. How do you see the global security scenario evolving in the Fourth Industrial Age?
Thanks to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), we are seeing the combined use of automation and machine-to-machine communication optimizing virtually all aspects of manufacturing, defense, infrastructure, and industrial efforts. The benefits of industrial systems to leverage smart sensors and IoT for handling issues with minimal human intervention are transforming commerce, government and defense in ways we never imagined. Because of this evolution, security organizations and systems need to be multi-faceted and dynamic to manage ever-growing threats. Today, independent nations as well as alliances of countries around the world are developing strategies to address the expanding range of non-traditional risks and challenges. We are also seeing conventional threats growing, 20 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | March-April 2021
including asymmetric terrorist threats and attacks on industrial systems, designed to influence elections and the larger political discourse. Security is no longer just a matter of protecting national borders and military infrastructure, or defending the front line. Today, a nation’s sovereignty stands or falls with the integrity of its communications, power and transportation grid, and its energy production and public health facilities. Security strategists call this the 'rear area', behind the front line. This reinforces the need for better real-time information and flexible, evolving technology that can adapt to a changing threat spectrum.
As we usher in the age of the data economy, how critical is it to have sovereign and secure data environments for national governments and regional organizations like the European Commission? Having sovereign and secure data environments has never been more important. Thanks to efforts like the recent European Commission initiatives on cloud computing and GAIA-X, which is the federated
