Cyber International Law

[Astryd Boschee]

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Today's globally interconnected world presents a wide array of serious risks and threats to critical infrastructure, systems, assets, functions, and citizens. Given the dynamic threat landscape and significant developments in global cybersecurity and related policies, the U.S. government must remain fully engaged to shape an environment that will preserve our national security interests, economic security interests, and competitiveness into the future.

Working with foreign partners builds CISA's capacity and strengthens our ability to globally defend against cyber incidents, enhance the security and resilience of critical infrastructure, identify and address the most significant risks to the national critical functions, and provide seamless and secure emergency communications. Sharing threat information, mitigation advice, and best practices with international partners not only reinforces good cyber hygiene, but also bolsters the resiliency within our respective systems and critical infrastructure, which in turn, foster a safer cyber-physical ecosystem for all.

CISA Global outlines how CISA will work with international partners to fulfill our responsibilities, execute our work, and create unity of effort within our mission areas. The strategy details CISA's international vision and commits the agency to four goals:

CISA is committed to promoting an open, interoperable, reliable and secure interconnected world within a global, operational and policy environment where network defenders and risk managers can collectively prevent and mitigate threats to critical infrastructure.

Internationally, Canada has supported the development and application of rules of the road for State behaviour in cyberspace. These are found in the conclusions of past United Nations (UN) Groups of Governmental Experts (UN GGEs) on Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security. The 2013 (PDF) and 2015 (PDF) UN GGE reports recognized the applicability of international law. The 2015 report also outlined voluntary norms for state behaviour in cyberspace. These have been unanimously agreed upon by the United Nations General Assembly (PDF).

Canada is working to support the implementation of these norms at home and abroad. This includes calling States to account for malicious activity that counters the norms for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.

Canada released its Statement on International Law applicable in cyberspace in April 2022 to outline our current view on key aspects of international law applicable in cyberspace and explain how these apply.

In addition to releasing our own statement, Canada strongly advocates for capacity building on the application of international law in cyberspace. Canada supports efforts to help other States develop their capacity to publish their own submissions on how they see international law applying in cyberspace.

Canada promotes participation of women in international cyber security negotiations through the Women in International Security and Cyberspace Fellowship (WiC). Over 35 women participated in the WiC as experts and diplomats representing their government at UN OEWG negotiations. The WiC allowed gender balance for the first time in the history of a UN First Committee process.

Canada has previously engaged in the United Nations (UN) Groups of Governmental Experts (UN GGEs) on Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security as a member of two of these groups (most recently in 2016-2017).

Confidence building measures (CBMs) are essential to building relationships and capabilities for improved cyber security. CBMs reduce the risk of conflict between States by using preventive measures for the management of crises between States in cyberspace. Canada is engaged in implementing confidence building measures internationally for cyber security through:

Multiple stakeholders have been engaged for confidence building measures including academia, non-governmental organizations, think tanks and the private sector. Canada understands the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to manage cyber security concerns. We have engaged with academics and non-governmental organizations as detailed above with gender and cyber research. Further, Canada was a leader in organizing a multi-stakeholder engagement series in December 2020 to allow non-State stakeholders to express their views on the OEWG process. This is all to support building a common understanding of the rules for responsible behaviour in cyberspace.

Canada is stronger when working in cooperation with our partners and allies. GAC works with likeminded partners to hold States accountable for activity in cyberspace. By coordinating with partners and allies abroad, GAC is able to evaluate and respond to identified threats accurately. After a review of the evidence, Canada will attribute malicious cyber activities to the hostile States who perpetrate them. Canada will hold them to account under international law and agreed norms of State behaviour in cyberspace. Canada will continue to promote responsible state behaviour in cyberspace and call out those that act irresponsibly.

As a result of Russia's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, the Government of Canada has coordinated internally and with allies abroad, to facilitate civilian cyber capacity building to help Ukraine uphold its fundamental right to self-defence in cyber space.

At GCA we foster cooperation across industries and governments. We build tools that make a difference and make them available for free. We take decisive, measurable action to reduce cyber risk. We invite you to join us in making an impact.

We develop programs and projects designed to address a critical challenge within the cyber risk landscape. From analyzing attacks on IoT devices, to providing free tools and resources to help reduce cyber risk and improve email security, our programs are central to making the Internet safer.

Unsecured routes are one of the most common paths for malicious threats to networks. Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS) is a global initiative that helps reduce the most common routing threats by requiring security-minded network operators to take concrete actions. GCA is now the MANRS Secretariat, fostering this ever-growing community and operating the MANRS Observatory.

The Internet is built on connections. If those connections have been compromised or the user is misled then trust in the system erodes. GCA seeks to increase trust in the Internet by identifying malicious domains and addresses and block or enable blocking connections with them.

Email communication is an important part of how we communicate, and unfortunately, continues to be exploited for malicious intent. GCA seeks to reduce the perennial issue of email misuse by advancing better email practices and protocols.

Trust in information matters. GCA seeks to increase the reliability of online information and governance by providing cybersecurity resources to help protect individuals, journalists, elections offices, and community organizations.

A crime prevented is far better than a crime prosecuted. The Global Cyber Alliance crosses borders and sectors in an effort to map, understand, and thwart cybercrime, with no profit motive attached, and no goal other than the prevention of future crimes. Together, we are inaugurating a new, better, international approach to fighting this global problem.

By contacting us, you consent to your data being stored outside the EEA. If you have questions on GDPR and how GCA handles your data, please email our Chief Legal & Administrative Officer at [email protected].

The Global Cyber Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the Internet a safer place by reducing cyber risk. We build programs, tools, and partnerships to sustain a trustworthy Internet to enable social and economic progress for all. GCA is a 501(c)(3) in the U.S. and a nonprofit in the U.K. and Belgium.

Multiple websites and services of the Government of Albania were rendered unavailable on 15 July 2022 as well as the e-Albania portal, and on 9 September 2022 the border system of the state police was targeted; however, other state systems were compromised between October 2021 and May 2022.

In response to the July cyber operation, Albania decided to cut diplomatic ties with Iran. NATO has declared its support of Albania and acknowledged the attribution, by some Allies, of the responsibility for the cyber operations to Iran. Albania was also considering invoking Article 5 of The North Atlantic Treaty, to trigger collective defence, but eventually decided against it. Iran has denied its involvement.In the Toolkit, Scenario 02 considers cyber espionage against government departments and Scenario 17 addresses collective responses to cyber operations.

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