The European Cyber Diplomacy

We now hear a lot about ‘cyber diplomacy,‘ a term that blends ‘diplomacy‘ and ‘cybersecurity.’

To comprehend this term, let us first take a step back and define these concepts independently. Diplomacy is the effort diplomats conduct to serve the interests of the governmental institutions they serve, including representation and negotiation. Cyber security refers to the set of procedures put in place to protect physical assets against cyberattacks.

In the international and EU arenas, cyber diplomacy includes the activities of state actors to develop a set of standards that govern the behavior of state and non-state players in cyberspace. More specifically, the goal of cyber diplomacy is to establish a set of standards that will create an accessible, fair, secure, and strong cyberspace under international law, and will be promoted and enforced through multilateral agreements.

In brief, cyber diplomacy refers to state officials’ attempts to create global cyberspace governance in order to avoid or condemn cyberattacks.

The strategy of the EU to cyber related diplomacy is based on the EU’s approach to multilateral negotiations and rule-based orders. It is based on a coordinated diplomatic reaction to cyberattacks that may constitute a danger to the EU or its member states. It is concerned with both preventive and crisis management. The cyber diplomacy toolbox is the result of an EU cyber diplomacy policy, allowing EU Member States to design concerted global countermeasures to cyberthreats and cyberattacks. One such action was used for the first time by the Council in 2020, when it penalized individuals and organizations for facilitating cyberattacks which attacked computer systems of multinational corporations in six continents, including enterprises headquartered in the Union. 

As demonstrated in 2020, the EU cyber diplomacy toolkit employs one of the most potent diplomatic tools: sanctions.

According to the EU cyber diplomacy toolkit, EU state officials use the term “cyber diplomacy” to allude to the creation of diplomatic methods that enhance international collaboration toward a shared set of principles. However, the same term has another meaning in the context of the EU. It describes a set of technical and tactical initiatives designed to combat cybercrime and reduce the risk and effect of cyberattacks on people and critical infrastructure.

The EU has created a preliminary legal plan to strengthen the union’s cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity Act was suggested by the European Commission and the High Representative for Security Policy. The EU is also establishing a concerted crisis response system as part of its cybersecurity policy. It calls on Member States to coordinate their response against cyberattacks. It has encouraged cybersecurity research in order to reduce the EU’s reliance on foreign technology and expertise.

In the future, the union should expand and deploy its cyber diplomacy toolkit, which is still in its early stages. A priority should be the continued development of measures that raise the responsibility of persons and organisations responsible for carrying out cyberattacks against the Union’s security. It should also invest in establishing a leadership role in defining international norms for responsible state behavior in cyberspace. Finally, it should promote cross-national collaboration in the prevention and management of cyberattacks.

Sources:

CCDCOE, ‘European Union Equipping Itself against Cyber Attacks with the Help of Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox’, CCDCOE, https://ccdcoe.org/incyder-articles/european-union-equipping-itself-against-cyber-attacks-with-the-help-of-cyber-diplomacy-toolbox/

Cotroneo, C. ‘EU Cyber Diplomacy 101’, EIPA, https://www.eipa.eu/eu-cyber-diplomacy-101/

European Parliament, ‘Understanding the EU’s approach to cyber diplomacy and cyber defence’, Europarl, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/651937/EPRS_BRI(2020)651937_EN.pdf

Ivan, P. ‘Responding to cyberattacks: Prospects for the EU Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox’, EPC, https://www.epc.eu/en/Publications/Responding-to-cyberattacks-EU-Cyber-Diplomacy-Toolbox~218414