Tackle cyber threats same way as terrorism, India tells UN
Cyber attacks are one of the biggest government head-scratchers, only that they are rarely reported.
What you need to know:
- The suggestion arose as members of the UNSC debated the role of cybersecurity in maintenance of global peace and security.
The UN Security Council should look at issues of cybersecurity the same way it does terror merchants, the Indian government has proposed.
The suggestion arose as members of the UNSC debated the role of cybersecurity in maintenance of global peace and security.
India, one of the frontrunners in the technology world, admitted lack of universal rules on what constitutes openness and noted that cyber threats have allowed both state and non-state actors to exploit loopholes that may have similar impacts as terrorism.
“The borderless nature of cyberspace, and more importantly, anonymity of actors involved, has challenged the traditionally accepted concepts of sovereignty, jurisdiction and privacy,” argued Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of India, in a debate on ‘International Peace and Security: Cybersecurity’.
“We need to adopt a collaborative rules-based approach in cyberspace and work towards ensuring its openness, stability and security," Shringla told the council last week.
“As a victim of terrorism, India has always underlined the need for member states to address and tackle the implications of terrorist exploitation of the cyber domain more strategically.”
Propaganda
The Indian official said countries, including members of the council, may be reluctant to push through tighter rules because they are benefitting by publicising their propaganda,, which he argued gives them “leverage” to achieve their geopolitical targets.
Such gaps, he argued, could return to haunt everyone, should the cyber criminals target critical infrastructure “including health and energy facilities, to disrupt social harmony through radicalisation.”
In ICT, cyber security may generally mean the protection of data stored on a computer network from theft, distortion, misuse or deletion. It may also refer to protection of the software and hardware involved from damage, but officials have been more focused on the data and access.
The Indian official did not name the countries involved in such propaganda, but cybercrime including hacking has been cited before an an area where countries have attacked one another.
The US, for instance, accused Russia of interfering with the 2016 elections through hacking of critical websites.
Last month, US officials alleged Russian hackers had tried to invade federal agencies. Previously, the US also cited Chinese hacking for trying to infiltrate elections and restricted US firms from doing business with companies in Beijing, seen as channels for mining data illegally. Both Russia and China have denied the allegations.
Kenya's case
During the debate, Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru said the country sees cyberspace as both a driver of development and a threat to critical infrastructure and international peace and security.
Citing the role of M-Pesa and other mobile money transactions, he told the council Kenya had to impose regulations including mandatory sim card registration by subscribers. He said, nonetheless, the challenges from cyberspace require countries to work together, especially since attackers do not need to travel across borders.
One way the cyberspace may cause problems and fuel insecurity, he argued, could be through automation of jobs traditionally done by hand.
“As industrial automation accelerates, the jobs lost must be replaced by other decent ones, otherwise peace and security will suffer,” he told the council, warning that those who lose jobs could be susceptible to criminal, even terrorism activities.
UN involvement
During the open debate, officials did admit the challenge of balancing free speech and maintaining security from the growing use of ICT.
UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Ms Izumi Nakamitsu, admitted the risks from cyberattacks had created situations where states are encouraged to “adopt offensive postures for the hostile use of these technologies".
The UN envoy said there has been a worrying trend of malicious incidents in recent years, including disinformation campaigns and hacking of computer networks, which have reduced mutual trust among countries.
“ICT threats are increasing but efforts are also underway to address them,” she told the council that met via videoconference.
The UN General Assembly has been trying to adopt a common policy on cybersecurity, including the creation of the Governmental Experts on advancing responsible use of the cyberspace and the Open-Ended Working Group on developments in the field of information and telecommunications focused on international security.
Both teams previously suggested stronger UN involvement as threats constitute a security risk for the world.
