RIYADH: Saudi Arabia could become a global leader in combating online criminals who target children in cyberspace, according to an expert. Speaking to Arab News at the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh on Oct. 2, Iain Drennan, executive director of WeProtect Global Alliance, emphasized that identifying vulnerable users is crucial to preventing online crimes against children. Saudi Arabia is hosting the GCF to advance collective actions and ensure a safe online space for everyone globally. “It is incredibly important to integrate child online protection elements into our conception of cybersecurity. Saudi Arabia, with its pivotal role between east and west, between north and south, can bring together lots of the different voices that we need to have in the room to be able to move forward in this space,” said Drennan. He added: “Looking from a child online protection perspective, it’s about identifying some of these most vulnerable users and ensuring that it’s not the responsibility on them to manage their own protection. It’s not even the responsibility of parents and caregivers. It should be the responsibility of governments and of the private sector to ensure that the tools are in place, that it’s safety by default.” During the talk, Drennan stressed that collaboration among countries is necessary to ensure children can safely enjoy the benefits of the Internet and the digital world. “This is a problem that cuts across borders. So, you could have a child in Saudi Arabia using a social network that’s headquartered in the US, targeted by an abuser in another country entirely. So there needs to be collaboration between all of those different countries to be able to ensure that child is protected,” he added. According to the cybersecurity expert, events like the Global Cybersecurity Forum will play a pivotal role in combating child exploitation online, as they gather global leaders and industry experts to address potential threats. “Gatherings like the Global Cyber Security Forum play a really important role in bringing the global majority and the countries where the big tech platforms are headquartered together, so that we can develop solutions. A big part of that is information sharing,” he said. Drennan noted that organized crime groups view online illicit activities as a business for financial gain. In January, the World Economic Forum cited data from the International Monetary Fund and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, predicting that the global cost of cybercrime will surge to $23.84 trillion by 2027, up from $8.44 trillion in 2022. He pointed out that online criminals are increasingly using advanced AI technologies, like deepfake, to create intimate images for blackmailing children. “What the criminals really trade on is the blame and the shame that the victims feel. And the other issue we have now is AI. AI is making that whole process a lot faster because they don’t need to trick victims into providing real images. They can create a deepfake and still blackmail, threatening to send it to family or friends unless they pay,” said Drennan. He added that addressing online child protection is crucial for Saudi Arabia, given the young population"s interest in online gaming. “It is definitely a key issue for Saudi Arabia to address cybercrimes. Sony Interactive Entertainment is one of our members, and they say Saudi Arabia is one of their key growth markets in terms of gaming. So, we know that children are online,” he said.