3/4/22, 1:38 PM Managing a digital revolution: cyber security capacity building in Myanmar - Routledge Companion to Global Cyber-Security Strategy complicating element is that Myanmar is undergoing this rapid transformation into the digital age at the same time as the country is undergoing a profound political transition. The precariousness of political institutions combined with the known security threats emanating from digital technologies are both undermining the cyber security of Myanmar society. Adding internet connectivity as the same time as the country transitions away from a suppressive regime is heightening the risk that the technology can be used to exert government control and a return to old sins in acting as a tool for repression of minorities in the country (Calderaro, 2014). As Myanmar struggles with an unstable political situation, the country is seeing new kinds of societal vulnerabilities emerging from digitalization, among them hate speech, cybercrime, and cyberattacks. The transition from military rule to a more democratic form of government, along with the recurring theme of ethnic conflict, creates an environment that is favorable to criminals and bulletproof hosting.' Already cybercrime is an existing, and growing, concern in Myanmar. As the growth in cybercrime rapidly outpaces the growth in digital transactions globally and the issue of criminal activities is set to grow in importance over the coming years. Due to the fluid nature of these criminal activities, states lacking legal frameworks and enforcements like Myanmar are likely to see a disproportional part of this growth (Threat Metrix, 2016). As the country has connected to the Internet citizens have been allowed access to a wealth of information, resulting in a renaissance of sorts for independent media outlets and civil society groups. People have embraced social media and messaging applications such as Facebook and Viber, using these as their main, and often only, access point to the Internet. Facebook is in fact widely perceived as “the Internet” and is being used as a replacement for missing company websites, channels for file sharing, and communication between employees in public and private sector. This tendency has also been propelled by the collaboration between some social media companies and telephone operators. Telenor has for instance offered free Facebook through Telenor subscriptions. Despite this apparent positive development there are huge concerns relating to the security of these websites, as many of these applications are also pre-installed https://ebrary.net/173520/political_science/managing_digital_revolution_cyber_security_capacity_building_myanmar#aftercont 3/19