The International Cybersecurity Dialogue (The ICD) and Interos Solutions, Inc. hosted 24 international business, government and academic leaders August 29 under this title to explore their reactions to the threat of a new generation of cyber weapons such as Duqu, Stuxnet and Flame. The meeting was off the record under the Chatham House Rule*.
The ICD is a newly established Washington DC based nonprofit that promotes real-time, in-person dialogue between technologists and policy makers in business, government and academe.
In spite of their diverse backgrounds and approaches to cyber, the group’s discussion converged on four main themes. Comments and questions are the participants’.
A Lack of Existing Historical Precedent or Model
“Nations didn’t go to war over espionage.”
“‘Recce’ was always easier than an attack. This is not the case in cyber.”
“Globalization has changed the rules.”
“Defense exploitation and attack are the same.”
“Sub state actors are the problem and the nation states are eroding.”
Ignorance of the Subject
“The public is badly informed. There is very little knowledge of what is in the middle.”
“Until recently, there were no CEOs and no 3 and 4 stars in Cyber Strategy meetings. That is beginning to change.”
“Non- states are another tool of war.”
“Cyber is an open environment.”
Lack of Connectivity of Approach and Response
“Every nation starts this in their intelligence services.”
“How to tell the difference between a 15 year old wreaking havoc and a country in a timely fashion?”
“How to define cyber weapons?”
“How to avoid the unspoken expectation that it will take a devastating attack to energize people and nations to respond?”
No Global Norms of Laws Governing Current Cyber Conduct
“There is great frustration with the lag in the implementation of a suitable legal framework to address cyber -crime.”
[Are we ready for] “Digital Blackwaters and Cyber ‘stand-your-ground’?”
“What are companies’ right to self defense?”
“Private companies are ready to use private technologies.”
“How to reconcile with the Chinese as they continue to steal from us?”
“There is a lack of political will to share information and focus on common interest.”
This meeting launches an ICD series of discussion and analysis whose goal is to assist decision makers as they prepare for a rapidly approaching future of cyber arms development, deployment and sale.
*“participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.”
Anne C. Bader