The ongoing UN dialogues about responsible behaviour in cyberspace have brought hope that a global solution can be reached to ensure peace in the cyber domain. However, there are already obstacles visible on the road ahead. This is particularly true for the overprotection of ICT infrastructure. With growing cyber insecurity amid the ongoing pandemic, it is more important than ever …
Time for Cyber Maastricht?
In today’s information society, data and information replace the traditional resources for conducting war: coal and steel. Preventing conflicts revolving around these new resources demands greater cooperation and transparency. Until recently, coal and steel were critical raw materials for the economy and the basis for waging wars. It was coal and steel that brought European countries together in 1951 to …
Do We Need an EU Cybersecurity Rating Agency?
As companies get ever more concerned about the cybersecurity standards of their suppliers, they are looking for a cheap and easy way to establish whether they can trust another company. Audits are time-consuming and expensive, but a number of new companies offer so-called outside-in cybersecurity ratings that promise to provide an accurate appraisal of IT security standards through a mixture …
When Sovereignty Leads and Cyber Law Follows
The Network and Information Security Directive (NIS Directive) is one of the most important pieces of cyber legislation in the EU. Only four years after its entry into force, the European Commission is expected to table a revision of this cyber law by the end of the year. This is an excellent moment to consider this revision in the context …
Navigating the EU’s Cyber Diplomacy
Josep Borrell Fontelles needs no introduction. In European and national politics, he has done it all, including serving as the President of the European Parliament and as Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. He’s no stranger to digital and tech issues either: he spearheaded the process of liberalising Spain’s telecoms as Minister of Public Works and Transport in the early 1990s. In his role as the EU’s diplomat-in-chief, Borrell is now responsible for projecting the EU’s model and vision for cyberspace around the world. The task is not an easy one.
Elaborating International Law for Cyberspace
The European Union has called for all states to publicise their views on how international law applies to cyberspace. To date, primarily European states have shared their national views. The OAS’s Improving Transparency project aims to add more American voices to the conversation. Early results of the initiative highlight the need for greater legal capacity building among states that have …
Navigating the Gaps in Cyberspace
From addressing the knowledge and freedom gap to closing the gaps in gender and diversity, five practitioners from around the world told us what bridging divides in cyberspace means, what it entails and why it is important. Gaps are created by people, therefore only people can close them. This was the underlying assumption motivating Closing the Gap 2020, the International …
COVID-19 and Cybersecurity in the Asia Pacific
As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizations around the globe to shift to remote work, cyberattackers have taken advantage of vulnerabilities in the new IT environment to launch ransomware and phishing campaigns. The healthcare sector has been especially targeted. In the Asia-Pacific in particular, the healthcare sector is lacking in cybersecurity savvy, making global cybersecurity collaboration more important now than ever.
COVID-19 and International Cyber Law
States and non-state actors are turning to cyberspace to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of their operations violate such international law rules as the requirement to the respect the sovereignty of other states, the prohibitions on intervention and the use of force, and international human rights law obligations and prohibitions.
No Safety Without Cybersecure AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most promising emerging technologies that exist today, and its applications will be widely implemented in the years to come. This isn’t only true for sectors like autonomous driving or surveillance but also for the military and judiciary – all areas where security is paramount. It’s imperative that we start considering the cybersecurity dimensions …