Interview George Sharkov: Romania and Bulgaria stand shoulder to shoulder in terms of intelligence

George Sharkov talked, in an interview for MEDIAX and Defence and Security Monitor (DSM), about Romania and Bulgaria’s importance across NATO and EU, about Eastern Europe’s vulnerabilities and cyber threats.

“So, we see that same type of technical issues, of technical attacks are addressing both transports and communication systems, but also energy systems, including nuclear energy distribution and gas distribution, as well as everyday life, like electronic, e-trading, e-commerce, mobile banking, e-health, like all the services that both citizens and business depend on”, added Sharkov.

The adviser of Bulgaria’s Defence Minister also talked about the hybrid war across media.

“Nowadays, fake news are not only fake news, but also disinformation, because these are manipulated carefully, closely. Hence, given the European or local elections in the countries in the region, this rather looks like a well-organized campaign, possibly coming from different sources, targeting the North-East” added Sharkov.

We are presenting you the entire interview:

MEDIAFAX: Given the current security evolutions, what could be Romania’s role as pillar of stability in Eastern Europe and as leverage across the transatlantic Alliance?

George Sharkov: Since I come from Bulgaria and we are actively collaborating with Romania, I can only speak from a collective perspective about Bulgaria and Romania, about this Eastern part of Europe and NATO. I think that with having the geopolitical situation, the way it is developed now, and especially focused on the new dimensions, or the new domains of vulnerabilities, threats and attacks against our stability, economy, society, I would say that it is very important for this Eastern flank of NATO and Eastern border of Europe to be well protected, well organized. That would be from the classic defence view point. However, in the new domains, like the cyber field, the fifth domain, or the hybrid warfare and the propaganda campaigns we are currently facing, the hybrid wars that are performed on our territories, against our citizens, it is important for each ally and each EU member state to be stable and have an equal level of security and protection for the society. We have to synchronize and align very closely to contribute to the collective NATO and EU security and resilience of the alliance.

MEDIAFAX: Do you think Eastern Europe is vulnerable against cyber threats?

George Sharkov: As any other modern society, our technology makes us more vulnerable. In addition, it is not only about single systems, but the systems are interconnected. In terms of European Union Network Information and Security Directive about the digital services for the citizens and the society, the acknoledgement of this sector is way much larger comparing to what we used to call critical infrastructure. So, we see that same type of technical issues of technical attacks are addressing both transports and communication systems, but also energy systems, including nuclear energy distribution and gas distribution, as well as everyday life, like electronic, e-trading, e-commerce, mobile banking, e-health, like all the services that both citizens and business depend on. So, increasing complexity brings vulnerability, complicates vulnerabilities or it can even combine multilateral attack vectors against our citizens, businesses, governments, authorities and, last but not least, since we have moved everything in the digital space, it is irreversible. For example, now we have a large dispute on digital voting or machine voting because people are not convinced that our systems are secure enough.

MEDIAFAX: Should cyber threats proliferation, like cyber threats, propaganda and so on be a major transatlantic security concern?

George Sharkov: Cyber-attacks, if we consider them criminal acts, like the ones who’s objective is getting money, however, if we consider the increased density of such attacks and we know the targets of these or the targets group of people and businesses, we can suspect that these are not anymore just criminal acts. And some of them are definitely not directed towards financial profit, or other advantages, but usually the criminals seek for financial profit through very inventive methods, unfortunately. But we should realize that part of the attack do not seek only financial purposes. Also, these could be combined with other types of attacks, like the hybrid war in the media, manipulation and fake news. Nowadays, fake news are not only fake news, but also disinformation, because these are manipulated carefully, closely. Hence, given the European or local elections in the countries in the region, this rather looks like a well-organized campaign, possibly coming from different sources, targeting the North-East.

Dr. George Sharkov is an Adviser to the Minister of Defense and served as a National Cyber Security Coordinator for the Bulgarian Government 2014-2017, also Adviser to the Prime Minister in 2017. He was leading the development of the National Cyber Security Strategy of Bulgaria, adopted in 2016. He has a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence (AI), with specialization in applied informatics, thermography, and genetics, intelligent systems. Since 1994 he was managing international software teams for financial systems, e-business, and innovative e-markets. Since 2003 he is the Executive Director of the European Software Institute – Center Eastern Europe, with the Lab on Cyber Resiliency. Since 2016 he is also Head of the Cybersecurity Lab at Sofia Tech Park. He is trainer and appraiser for software engineering quality management, cybersecurity, and resilience (SEI/CERT RMM), lecturing software quality, cybersecurity and business resilience at three leading universities. Pioneer in digital ecosystems development, cyber and AI research, startups support, digital SMEs competitiveness.

Dr. George Sharkov has participated at the security conference organized by the Defence Monitor, part of MEDIAFAX Group.

Defence and Security Monitor organized, Tuesday, the “Transatlantic security bridges over increasing security vision gaps- Romania’s perspective” conference”, among the guests being also security experts, high-level militaries and members of the intelligence services, like: American General Charles Wald, former Deputy Commander of U.S. European Command, Carol Rollie Flynn, associate professor of the National Security Program of the US Research Institute for Foreign Policy, Anthony Pfaff, research professor for the Military Profession and Ethic at the Strategic Studies (SSI), U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, PA, retired Army colonel and Foreign Area Officer (FAO) for the Middle East and North Africa, Hans-Lothar Domröse, Former Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum and Arnold Dupuy (senior analyst on Energetic Security for the US Defence Department).