International cooperation efforts have increasingly focused on cybersecurity in Africa. Despite the diversity of these initiatives, Africa has yet to prioritise cybersecurity. Without coordination and accountability, divergent cybersecurity visions and models may instead derail Africa’s cybersecurity development. Africa, cooperation and cybersecurity In March 2022, the First African Cybersecurity Summit was held in Lomé, Togo. A core purpose of the Summit …
Taiwan, China and Semiconductors
Rising tensions surrounding Taiwan in the wake of Nancy Pelosi’s visit have illuminated the island’s critical role in the global economy, thanks to its singular place in the semiconductor supply chain. Yet rather than increasing Beijing’s incentives to pull the trigger on an invasion of Taiwan, the global importance of TSMC and other Taiwanese semiconductor companies discourages it. Taiwan’s position …
Cybersecurity Cooperation in the Indian Ocean
Formal and informal regional organisations play an increasing role in shaping global debates about cybersecurity. Although countries in the Indo-Pacific region have varied levels of cyber maturity, they share similar cybersecurity challenges and needs. It is not surprising, therefore, that existing cooperation platforms – like the Colombo Security Conclave – increasingly also include a cybersecurity dimension. India’s role in this …
How Does War in Ukraine Impact the EU’s Digital Sovereignty?
The Russian war against Ukraine is changing the understanding of what it means to be sovereign in the digital domain. Technology is being deployed and shaped by both sides to transcend traditional dividing lines and change the terms of conflict. To become strategically autonomous, Europe must learn this new topography and ways to navigate it. Only then may Europe mitigate …
Are Internet Sanctions a Good Idea?
Shortly after the Russian Federation launched its invasion of Ukraine, the government of Ukraine made several public calls for support, including pleas for the global internet governance bodies – ICANN and the RIPE NCC – to restrict Russia’s access to and use of the Domain Names System (DNS) and de-register the Internet Protocol (IP) address resources of Russian network operators. …
The Curious Absence of Chinese Cyber Deterrence
While China’s political and academic discourse on cybersecurity uses many of the same concepts as other countries’, the notion of deterrence is largely missing from its vocabulary. This can be explained by China’s relative vulnerability to cyberattacks: deterrence through denial lacks credibility and deterrence through punishment would be counter-productive. China has chosen instead to promote an international convention on interstate …
Ukraine: Cyber Operations and Digital Technologies
Towards the end of 2021, Russia began a military build-up around Ukraine. Then, after several months unsuccessfully pressuring the Ukrainian government to accede to its demands, Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. This post collects and synthesises information and perspectives on the cyber and information technology-related aspects of the conflict thus far, including the cyber operations and tactics of …
Is War in Ukraine the End of Cyber Diplomacy?
The war in Ukraine has so far seen very little engagement from the cyber diplomatic community. While the international community focuses on stopping Russia’s invasion and ending the conflict, the contribution of cyber diplomacy to these efforts has been limited to the usual offers of assistance to deal with cyber incidents. This is surprising, given the number of cyber diplomacy-related …
Revamping the EU’s Technology Partnerships
The EU is expanding its global partnerships in the technological and digital realm. However, its approach to the Global South countries has differed markedly from its approach to developing partnerships with the US and Asian countries. Discussion of the best ways to partner with Global South countries has been limited and many areas remain unexplored. Current mechanisms risk being not …
Digital Sovereignty Viewed from Asia
The rapid pace of global digital transformation has led to new ideas concerning the relationships between economic growth, human development, human rights and national security. The mix of these policies has resulted in many forms of techno-nationalism. Which paradigm a country chooses as dominant may determine its priorities and the future. The US-led objections, based on national security concerns, to …
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