Digital Government Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Does privacy and human rights matter while governments are combating Covid19 and tracking the pandemic? Dec 02, 2020

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In the light of the ongoing pandemic, today's Digital Government podcast addresses one of the most sensitive topics - privacy and human rights while governments are combating COVID19 and developing tracking apps.
Are our rights and privacy in danger? How can governments address these concerns and what should be a good practice?
Listen to Katrin Nyman-Metcalf and Linnar Viik to find out.

Benin has taken off on its digital journey Nov 25, 2020

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In today's Digital Government podcast we invite you to Benin, a West-African country with more than 10 million inhabitants. Our collaboration partner Serge Adjovi, Director General of the National Information Systems and Services Agency (ASSI), and our Project Manager Marit Lani talk about the lessons learnt by the Beninese government, gained through the implementation the Estonian-origin backbone for government e-services - the secure data exchange platform - and the development of the citizen portal for the provision of government services.
What were their biggest challenges? Tune in to find out!

The challenges of secure elections Nov 18, 2020

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Recent elections in the US and in other countries raised a lot of claims that election results might be manipulated. Our CyberConf2020, to be held online on 24 November, dives deep into the topic of how to secure elections in the digital era. In today's Digital Government Podcast, Mr Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former President of Estonia and a speaker at the conference, sheds light on the ways countries are struggling with the integrity and trustworthiness of elections. Tune in!

Investing in people and the economy for a digital society Nov 11, 2020

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In parallel with a crisis of public health, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused great damage also to the national economy of most countries.

Regardless of how hard these have been hit in terms of casualties and infection rates, lockdown measures have been enforced to different degrees almost everywhere in Europe and around the world. As a consequence, an unprecedented economic crisis has disrupted jobs, incomes, value chains, requiring governments and international organizations to act fast and channel funds into domestic markets to stay afloat.

In today's episode, Linnar Viik sheds light on how governments can shape their post-pandemic labor markets and economies. His main suggestion is: shift the focus from public services digitalisation to the economy and society as a whole. The digital DNA of companies and societies is very much needed during these times. But how is it gained? The talk is lead by Federico Plantera. Tune in to find out!

Why governments do not want the Internet to be free? Nov 04, 2020

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In the Digital Government Podcast Episode, the previous contributors to the report "Freedom on The Net", Linnar Viik and Katrin Nyman-Metcalf, shed light on this year's Internet Freedom Index global report. They clarify two different views on freedom of expression, which is one of the cornerstones of Internet freedom, and answer the question of why governments don't like the Internet to be free.
The report "Freedom on The Net" is published by a US-based think tank annually. It analyses the rights and freedoms of people in 65 countries regarding public webspace. The index covers areas, such as obstacles to access, lack of unfounded restrictions on online content, ensuring user rights, as well as the freedom and responsibilities of online user behaviour. The overall findings of the report this year were that the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating a dramatic decline in global internet freedom.

Let's talk about cyber hygiene! Oct 28, 2020

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At times of COVID-19, cyber hygiene became particularly important. Being more cyber aware and practising healthy cyber hygiene is what will ultimately help you keep your business or administration continuity when you need it. In this episode, our senior cybersecurity expert Merle Maigre shares best practices of cyber hygiene from France, Estonia, the UK that is useful for every Internet user and organization. Tune in!

Do you know how prepared is your country for a cyber attack? Oct 21, 2020

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In today's episode, we focus on cybersecurity, as October is European Cyber Security Month. Epp Maaten, Programme Director of Cyber Security at the e-Governance Academy peeks into the main features and goals of the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI) to explain how it serves as a fundamental tool for governments to advance their cybersecurity capacities and protect their cyberspace.
Tune in!

Risks and opportunities in voting on the internet Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

When it comes to political participation, elections represent something that most countries have in common, but that differentiates them between each other at the same time. All democratic nations set rounds of voting to renew people’s representatives in national assemblies; however, almost all nations vary in the ways elections are carried out.

From registration to counting and publishing of the results, there are many opportunities to implement electronic means to facilitate and streamline the process of voting. But moving parts of this process to the cyberworld, of course, carries related risks.

The speakers of today’s issue of the Digital Government podcast have a far-reaching background in electronic voting and the risks connected to it.

Liisa Past, outgoing Chief Cyber Risk Officer for the Government of Estonia, was also one of the driving forces behind the Estonian Comprehensive Risk Assessment of Elections, as well as the Compendium on Cyber Security of Election Technology. Epp Maaten instead, currently Programme Director of Cyber Security at eGA, has served in the Estonian National Electoral Committee and as Deputy Head of the Electronic Voting Committee.
Discussion is moderated by Federico Plantera.

Listen to the podcast to delve deep into the challenges and breakthroughs of making digital solutions common practice in elections!

What should governments do to secure their national cyber space? Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

Much as in the fight against Covid-19, prevention proves to be a key determinant of our safety on the internet. However, deliberate threats to both citizens and organisations still hide just around the corner. Despite our individual care and attention towards cyber behaviours, malicious actors might intentionally try to hijack personal data or information systems.

As a discipline, cyber security taps into the gaps left uncovered by ordinary cyber hygiene – cybercrime, or the protection of critical cyber infrastructure. Consequently, governments must provide protection against such threats as a way to shelter the public good online, letting citizens and businesses sleep well at night with regard to their internet assets.

Raul Rikk, National Cyber Security Policy Director at Estonia’s Government CIO office, speaks of what defines the role of government in ensuring cybersecurity for everyone.

Podcast: Assessing digital maturity for effective e-government roadmaps Sep 30, 2020

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Where do we come from? Where do we stand? And where to go from here? Though the feeling might be that of a high-school psychology blog, there is no existentialism in these questions – at least in the current case. In order to formulate with efficacy digital transformation roadmaps for governments, policy makers must first understand the digital maturity of their own institutional environment.

Linnar Viik, Programme Director of Smart Governance, presents here a government digital maturity assessment. As a stepping stone towards conscious e-governance development, the analysis works as a tool to identify bottlenecks and opportunities in moving towards a digital process management. Tune in and find out how does it work!

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