News item | 09-06-2023 | 5:18 pm
The government is presenting a new international cyber strategy for 2023-2028 to counter digital threats. What does the international strategy entail? We explain.
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Why is an international cyber strategy necessary?
Digitization has been the driving force behind our development in recent decades. We communicate faster and easier with each other and economies and sectors such as healthcare, transport and energy were able to develop more quickly. This development will accelerate in the coming years with the emergence of new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum.
Further digitization also entails significant risks. Our national security, our earning power and the safe online environment of citizens are already threatened on a daily basis by countries and criminals. This threat translates through cyber operations – to spy, sabotage and spread disinformation. We see that the geopolitical dynamics in the physical world are also emphatically playing out in the digital environment.
This dynamic is reinforced by the availability and deployment of new and cheaper cyber resources that are deployed by countries for cyber operations aimed at espionage, sabotage or disinformation, but also to monitor and pressure their own population (lawyers, politicians, human rights defenders and journalists) online. to put.
Agreements for the cyber domain
In order to make clear agreements about rules of conduct, the management of the cyber domain and the development of standards for new technologies, it is important that all interested parties have a place at the table. In addition to governments, this includes infrastructure owners (companies), civil society organizations and the technical community. Various countries are trying to reduce the role of these stakeholders in discussions about the design and use of the digital domain. This can have far-reaching consequences for the way in which the digital domain is organised, and therefore for our prosperity and security.
To meet these challenges, a strong European Union (EU) is a prerequisite. In a European context, important steps have already been taken in the field of legislation and regulations to better protect citizens and companies against cyber threats. In addition, it is important that EU Member States act more jointly and more effectively towards the outside world. Because all countries face cyber threats, it is also important that we strengthen our relations with countries that we do not yet count as our traditional partners.
Countering cyber threats starts with putting the digital security of our own companies and organizations in order. The stakes are in the Dutch Cybersecurity Strategy which appeared in October 2022.
What are the goals of the International Cyber Strategy?
Cyber makes it possible to cause a lot of damage with relatively few people or resources. Think of stealing money or information, or shutting down companies or government organizations. But democratic institutions, freedom of the press and human rights can also come under pressure from cyber operations. To counter all these digital threats and to agree with as large a group of countries as possible how we should behave in the digital domain, the Netherlands has set three goals for the period 2023-2028:
- Countering cyber threats from states and criminals
- Strengthening democratic and human rights principles online
- Preserving a globally connected, open, free and secure internet
What will the Netherlands do to achieve the goals of the international cyber strategy?
On the National Cyber Power Index from September 2022 The Netherlands is in sixth place. To maintain that position, the Netherlands must remain resilient in the digital world. It is therefore important that we work with as large a group of countries as possible, which, like us, believe that everyone should be able to move freely and safely in the digital domain.
To achieve the goals of the International Cyber Strategy, the Netherlands will do the following:
- To counter the cyber threat of states and criminals The Netherlands will use the instruments at its disposal more proactively, more integratedly and more strategically, where possible with EU partners and NATO allies. Think of diplomacy, intelligence, sanctions, but also economic resources and development cooperation.
- To strengthen democratic and human rights principles online The Netherlands is working with other countries, researchers, companies and civil society organizations on how internationally recognized principles should be applied in the digital space in order to increase global cyber security. Individual safety is a core component of cybersecurity. And an open, free and safe internet is a crucial starting point in promoting human rights online. The Netherlands also encourages countries and companies to combat (unintentional) violations of online human rights.
- To maintain a globally open, free and secure internet The Netherlands will protect the public core – or the technical layer – of the internet, among other things to prevent fragmentation. In doing so, the Netherlands will promote the involvement of emerging countries in internet governance issues and share expertise to further strengthen the cyber capabilities of these countries so that they too can reap the benefits of a secure digital environment.
Cooperation
The International Cyber Strategy has been drawn up in collaboration between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Security, Economic Affairs and Climate, Defense and the Interior and Kingdom Relations and between various government organizations (AIVD, MIVD, NCSC, NCTV, OM and the Police).