ODUMUNC 2021 Issue Brief

GA First Committee (DISC)

Cyber Security: Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

Nick Myers
ODU Model United Nations Society

Introduction rise of cyber-attacks and the security measures

against them in the hope of eliciting new
Technology has revolutionized the international regulations regarding cyber
interconnectedness of the globe. The flagship of security. Yet, the UN is not without problems of
that globalization is the Internet. However, like its own in addressing the issues surrounding
all other interconnecting technologies before it, cyber security and cyber terrorism.
the Internet can become a weapon in the eyes of
states, criminals, and terrorists alike. Known as Broadly, the UN is faced with a major roadblock
either cyber war or cyber conflict, these attempts related to cyber. Member States have varied
to disrupt information technology systems have positions on whether the UN should have
provoked an increasingly desperate debate on oversight over what a nation does in cyberspace.
how to respond. Some Member States insist current international
laws can sufficiently deal with cyber threats.
Other Member States fear expanding
international law will be used to narrow their
national power, or might undermine their
freedom of action.

Currently, cyberspace is viewed as an extension

of international law, meaning cyber-attacks are
viewed as legally the same as physical attacks
rather than as separate issue without its own
norms. There is some interest within the General
Assembly and the Security Council to address
cyber threats by creating new norms for cyber
response and use. But the disconnect between
As UN Member States struggle to protect their the international dangers and national
networks and linked infrastructure from capabilities in cyberspace weakens the potential
disruption, security against foreign-based attacks for forceful UN action, even when it is needed
has become vital. Member States are concerned most.
about the potential to affect individuals,
corporations, states, and regional systems. The Many Member States want the entire UN
anonymity of attacks is a major part of the community to take an active role responding to
problem; attackers can swiftly disable the threats posed by cyber-attacks. They say that
individuals, government agencies and private more effort needs to be put into this issue within
firms, without revealing who carried out the the General Assembly especially, since that is
attack in the first place. where global moral principles are agreed. The
current ambiguity surrounding cyber-attacks
Given the transnational nature of many of these leaves long standing questions about the
attacks, international organizations like the UN definition and meaning of an attack and its
have been increasingly pressured to address the consequences in doubt. The ambiguity
 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

undoubtedly helps attackers and those who objectives through cyber actions to harm,
would use the Internet for malicious purposes. coerce, or intimidate a population or state.1

Growing demands for new rules and approaches Much like terrorist attacks, the perpetrators of
to cyberspace have been heard from several cybercrime are difficult to identify unless such
Member States. This shift led to several attacks are claimed by a specific organization.
resolutions over the past few years. But other Many attacks remain unclaimed, no matter
Member States worry that international action which victim is attacked. There have been
could be a veil for efforts to restrict their repeated identifications of the location of the
freedom of action, or advance the particular attackers, but the forensic process typically is
interests of specific countries. Where growing very slow. While an attack may happen in
demands for action will lead is hard to judge. minutes, identification of an attacker can take
months, under the best circumstance. Over time
In an ever-integrating global economy, the the occurrences of cyber-attacks have diversified
prospect of cyber threats looms over everyone. and intensified, with an increasing variety of
The U.N. remains the most prominent forum for more noticeable attacks being enacted all over
addressing global issues. Important steps have the globe.2
been taken to address these threats, including in
the General Assembly, Security Council, and
several UN technical organizations. These have
established important principles to guide
international action. But calls for more
aggressive action have gone unmet. If Member
States wish for a true universal approach to
solving the issues of cyberspace, more work
needs to be done.

History of Cyber Crime

The trajectory of cybercrime in global politics
has been on the rise as internet connectivity and
other aspects of information technology have
spread around the globe. While there is no Still, the major problem with cyber security is
standing agreement on an international the speculative nature of the threats. The range
definition of cyber-attack or cyber terrorism of possible threats is quite broad, both to
within the U.N., rough working definitions have governments, businesses, and individuals. Some
been considered to be broad sweeping online of the most well-known possibilities include:
criminal activity in all of its forms. Generally, a
• Attacks interfering with internet related
cyber crime or attack must serve a destructive or
networks, installations, server parks,
illegal goal. Cyber terror pursues political
major firms.

1 2
Cyberterrorism Vienna: UN Office on Drugs and 'Significant Cyber Incidents Since 2006,
Crime, 2019, Washington, D.C.: Center for Strategic and
https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/cybercrime/module- International Studies, September 2020, https://csis-
14/key-issues/cyberterrorism.html website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-
public/200901_Significant_Cyber_Events_List.pdf

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 Cyber Security:
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• Attacks on financial industries such as Non-governmental organizations have also seen

banking and securities trading. a sharp rise in popularity, with some of the
biggest being the Internet Watch Foundation and
• Attacks denying access to defense the Rand Corporation.
ministry computer networks including
email and other sensitive systems. In many cases, these nongovernmental
organizations are much more successful in
• Energy industries, electricity generation
dealing with cyber-attacks and security, simply
and distribution, including oil refineries
because they are not tied down by an
and oil and gas pipelines.
international system such as the U.N and have
• Interference with critical infrastructure more capabilities to not only diagnose attacks
such as emergency services, hospitals, but also prevent them. The organizations above
energy generation and distribution, or are a few of the many entities created to combat
transportation. the ever-growing scope and nature of the cyber
realm.
• Attacks on government systems by
criminal, terrorist, or revolutionary The Current Situation
organizations seeking information.
The bulk of these cyber-attacks have been
• Violation of commercial and individual
largely attributed to a variety of hackers and
privacy
sparse few terrorist organizations, but there have
been prominent attacks by states against other
Still, the groups most likely to carry out a cyber- states over the course of the past fourteen years.
attack are already incredibly powerful states.3 Below are some prominent examples of attacks
Countries like China, Russia, and the U.S. are designed to disrupt information networks, access
powerhouses in offensive and defensive use of critical materials, destroy data, or mislead the
Information and Communication Technologies public of various states.
(ICT), though other states are more than capable
of using cyber weapons. • In 2009-2010 the United States and
Israel launched a virus, variously known
The playing field is opening up though, as as Stuxnet, Flame or Olympic Games,
organizations have risen to try and combat against Iranian nuclear enrichment
cyber-attacks from cyber terrorists. These centrifuges at its nuclear fuel facility at
include international organizations like the UN Natanz, south of Tehran.5 The Stuxnet
Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT), the attack shut down ten percent of Iran’s
International Telecommunications Union (ITU), uranium enrichment capabilities for a
and reports from organizations like the United full year and set back Iran’s nuclear
Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.4 plans even longer. The Stuxnet virus is

3
James Andrew Lewis, 'Dismissing Cyber https://www.unidir.org/files/publications/pdfs/the-
Catastrophe', Center for Strategic and International united-nations-cyberspace-and-international-peace-
Studies, 17 August 2020, and-security-en-691.pdf;
5
https://www.csis.org/analysis/dismissing-cyber- David E. Sanger, 'Obama Order Sped Up Wave of
catastrophe Cyberattacks Against Iran', New York Times, 1 June
4
Camino Kavanagh, The United Nations, Cyberspace 2012,
and International Peace and Security: Responding to https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/world/middlee
Complexity in the 21st Century. Geneva: United ast/obama-ordered-wave-of-cyberattacks-against-
Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, 2017, iran.html?pagewanted=all

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 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

widely thought to have operated by

targeting nuclear centrifuges through • More examples of cyber-attacks to
flash drives, not via the internet. Even damage infrastructure happened in
after ten years, Stuxnet remains one of Ukraine.8 Three days before Ukraine’s
the most successful and visible shows of 2014 Presidential election, Russia
what a cyber attack can accomplish. It hacked into the Central Election
has seen wide praise and condemnation Commission and disabled part of its
within the international community, network. Since then, there have been
with some viewing it as a precedent for several major cyber-attacks on Ukraine,
how cyber will be used in the future, and including on a power grid that affected
some seeing it as a blatant abuse of 230,000 people. Russian entities hacked
power and intrusion in sovereign affairs. into Ukrainian tech firms to access
banks, airports, and government
• Russian involvement in the 2016 US agencies in Ukraine, costing Ukraine
presidential election can also be upwards of USD 10 billion.
considered part of a coordinated series
of cyber-attacks.6 This was a broad • Australia saw a sharp uptick in attacks
attack and included thousands of from what Prime Minister Scott
Russian bots on social media sites like Morrison called a, 'malicious' and
Facebook and Twitter meant to spread 'sophisticated' state-based actor, starting
misinformation and amass support of in June 2020.9 The attacks were wide
then-candidate Donald Trump. This ranging, focusing on government,
included trying to appeal to teens by industry, education, health, and critical
spreading political memes and patriotic infrastructure, though no major damage
posts. This campaign also included the has been made public yet. Australian
famous 2016 Democratic National experts believe China to be the culprit,
Committee (DNC) hack. Tens of largely since the attacks came after
thousands of private emails from top Australia openly questioned the origin
party leaders, including presidential of the coronavirus and whether China
candidate Hillary Clinton, were released was truthful about its reported numbers.
to the public via Wikileaks after two
online hackers, Fancy and Cozy Bear
gained access to the DNC’s private
servers.7 These hackers were traced
back to Moscow from an independent
investigation by the private research
group CrowdStrike.

6 8
Jonathan Masters, 'Russia, Trump, and the 2016 Laurens Cerulus, 'How Ukraine became a test bed
U.S. Election', Council on Foreign Relations, 26 for cyberweaponry', Politico, 14 February 2019,
February 2018, https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-cyber-war-
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/russia-trump-and- frontline-russia-malware-attacks/
9
2016-us-election Angus Watson and James Griffiths, ' Australia says
7
Sam Thielman, ' DNC email leak: Russian hackers it has been targeted by a 'sophisticated' state-based
Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear behind breach', Guardian, cyber attack', CNN Business, 18 June 2020,
26 July 2018, www.edition.cnn.com/2020/06/18/tech/australia-
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/26 cyber-attack-intl-hnk/index.html
/dnc-email-leak-russian-hack-guccifer-2

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 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

A more fundamental weakness comes from the

tendency of the international community to view
cyber threats as a new branch of existing issues.

For example, the UN couples human trafficking

and cyber trafficking as a single trans-national
crime issue, treating cybercrime as an extension
of other kinds of crime under international law.
While appropriate for an organization to attempt
to work against broad-reaching criminal
organizations, this coupling of other issues to
cyber inhibits the development of new norms,
resolutions, and agreements tailored to
These attacks and many others demonstrate that addressing cyber-specific issues on the broad-
cyber-attacks are a far-ranging means of spectrum of cyber security concerns. Thus, no
projecting state power to negatively impact new, global cyber laws have been created to
another state, community, or group of people treat these as unique issues.
potentially on the other side of the globe. The
inability of the victim to rapidly identify their Critics say this leads to a false feeling of
attacker makes these attacks much more difficult adequacy within the organization, a comfort in
to defend against. the familiar capabilities of sub-organizations to
address issues like crime or terrorism. Yet,
Role of the UN without a unique cyber-specific sub-organization
it becomes difficult for the UN to respond to the
The emerging issue of cyber security has made it changing situation surrounding cyber as a whole,
a relevant issue to all UN organizations, either thus serving to highlight a disconnect between
because those bodies utilize the internet or wanting to act on cyber as a specific Member
because they are responsible for ensuring access State and the organization as a whole feeling
and protecting state interests. While the UN has comfortable with the inadequate status quo
condemned all types of cybercrime and despite the increasing frequency of prominent
attempted to increase access to defensive cyber-attacks.
technologies, it has also failed to sufficiently
address the issue. Rival interests and priorities of Finally, the existing UN system on cyber threats
Member States make it difficult for the UN to is paralyzed to address cyber issues once they
agree on basic principles. The lack of focused arise. Frequently, the General Assembly or
attention on cyber security, cyber terrorism, and Security Council will not mention cyber, with it
cyber-attacks has slowed forceful action against coming up less than 5 times in the last 3 years.10
cyber terrorism and cybercrime. Part of this is Given the volume of cyber-attacks occurring
simply because cyberspace is such a large and each year coupled with the dynamic nature of
complicated subject, hard to pack into even a cyber, this is remarkably low. If the subject is
few organizations or resolutions. brought up, there is usually disagreement about
how a global effort to combat cyber threats
would work, with states such as Russia wanting
more universal participation in creating
mandates on cyberspace involving all members

10
General Assembly Resolutions. New York: United www.un.org/en/sections/documents/general-
Nations, 2020, assembly-resolutions/

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 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

through an inclusive Open-Ended Working

Group (OEWG), while the US and UK want top
ranking members to report on and create
mandates for the rest of the world via a Group of
Governmental Experts (GGE).11 There is no
denying that the UN and its members want to
create a more stream-lined cyber strategy, but
endless in-body debates means any universal
acceptance of new laws and cyber security
remains unlikely if there is not a vast uptick in
discussion and relevance of cyber within the UN
as there is disagreement regarding how the Other, smaller bodies within working to combat
organization should respond to future cyber terrorism include the UNOCT’s
developments. Cybersecurity Programme, which focuses on
enhancing state capacity and private
Despite these shortcomings, there remain several organizations in preventing cyber-attacks, and
entities working on cyber security and assisting the Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC)
the UN. The Geneva-based International Global Programme on Cybercrime, which
Telecommunications Union (ITU), an focuses on capacity building and technical
independent international organization affiliated assistance of cyber networks and defensive
with the United Nations, has emerged as the systems. These bodies offer the main source of
center for international coordination on these energy and effort in combatting cyber-attacks
issues. By setting standards for all and improving security for Member States, but
telecommunications, it provides essential each of these organizations is limited due to
benchmarks for governments, establishing what lacking the support of a coordinating mechanism
is universally accepted as permissible and where to assist each disparate UN organization in
limits are for governments. UN General addressing cyber security developments
Assembly and ECOSOC relations usually together. Thus, the UN is left with several
mandate the ITU as the center for further organizations going in different directions rather
consideration and action. The ITU has set up a than a unified approach capable of constructing
global cyber security index (GCI) in an effort to international norms, regulations, or mandates.
bring more attention to cyber threats worldwide
in coordination with the UN.12 This is meant to Taken as a whole, this reveals a UN framework
keep an up active list of both cyber-attacks and that is hardly adequate for a weapon system and
useful strategies to defend against attacks so problem which is rapidly transforming,
Member States can better deal with cyber becoming more prevalent, and holds the
security issues. The ITU also assists in designing potential to significantly disrupt global relations.
cyber security plans and infrastructure for Inaction can only take the UN so far, and the
member states. cobbled together nature of current UN programs
indicates the issue is setting the pace for the

11 12
Group of Governmental Experts. New York: United Nations Launches Global Cybersecurity
United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Index. Geneva: International Telecommunication
2019, www.un.org/disarmament/group-of- Union, n.d., https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-
governmental-experts/ D/Cybersecurity/Pages/United-Nations-Launches-
Global-Cybersecurity-Index.aspx

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 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

organization rather than the organization being

proactive in developing a regime for the future. • General Assembly resolution 74/28
(2019) presented standards for
Landmark UN Resolutions responsible state behavior in cyberspace
for international security purposes.15 Of
Over the past several years there have been greatest importance was establishing
attempts to turn the UN to address cyber security international norms, regulations, laws,
and cyber issues uniquely through resolutions and non-binding resolutions to cyber
within the Security Council and the General technology environments.
Assembly. Unfortunately, very few of these
resolutions broke enough ground to be truly • General Assembly resolution 73/266
transformative for UN policy, but they remain (2018) focused on the development and
influential in being the most significant efforts codification of international principles
within the most significant international bodies for cyberspace, with a particular focus
to do something regarding cyber issues. on the impacts of it financially.16
• Security Council resolution 2341
• General Assembly resolution 73/187
(passed in 2017), established a process,
(2018) on countering criminal activity,
continuing to this day, to establish 'best
seeks more international cooperation to
practices' to protect critical
stop criminal organizations utilizing
infrastructure from cyber-attacks in
communications platforms to commit
coordination with Interpol, UN Counter-
crimes.17 Importantly it called for
Terrorism Centre, and the Counter-
improving the technical infrastructure of
Terrorism Committee Executive
developing states to address this concern
Directorate.13 This help states stay
through assistance through the UN.
informed about potential cyber risks
they need to counter. These resolutions illustrate an attempt to
develop a response to challenges related to cyber
• General Assembly resolution 74/173 developments, but fall short of providing a
(2019) focused primarily on landmark policy trajectory for the UN. Instead,
development of Member States capacity they establish the importance of the issue, the
building to respond to cybercrime role of the UN on the subject, and the potential
brought in components of cooperative dangers for states ignoring the problem.
objectives.14

13 15
The protection of critical infrastructure against Advancing responsible State behaviour in
terrorist attacks: Compendium of good practices. cyberspace in the context of international security,
Vienna: United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre, resolution 74/28. New York: United Nations, 2019,
2018, https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/wp- https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/74/28
16
content/uploads/2018/06/Compendium-CIP-final- Advancing responsible State behaviour in
version- cyberspace in the context of international security,
120618_new_fonts_18_june_2018_optimized.pdf resolution 73/266. New York: United Nations, 2018,
14
Promoting technical assistance and capacity- https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/73/266
17
building to strengthen national measures and Countering the use of information and
international cooperation to combat cybercrime, communications technologies for criminal purposes,
including information-sharing, resolution 74/173. resolution 73/187. New York: United Nations, 2018,
New York: United Nations, 2019, https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/73/187
https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/74/173

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 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

Country and Bloc Positions cooperation in response to threats while

retaining its own state autonomy.
Issues like cyber security attract a host of
differing opinions, beliefs, and philosophies Democratic Republic of Korea (North
concerning the role of international governance, Korea): Although it is not a major force in the
institutions, and the role of the state within cyber UN North Korea could be a target of future UN
space. Broadly, states divide into two camps resolutions. North Korea represents an
where the first believes cyberspace should be the interesting major player when it comes to cyber
purview of states and the second believing there security concerns.21 Favoring asymmetric cyber-
is a critical role for international governance in attacks geared towards disrupting target
cyberspace. Interestingly, several states only operations and provocations to justify domestic
became concerned over the developments considerations, North Korea was considered
related to cyber because they have experienced responsible for the Sony Hack in 2014.22
significant cyber-attacks recently including Additionally domestic censorship and
Australia18, India19, and Indonesia. Other propaganda are heavily utilized. North Korea is
critical players on the issue include: widely believed to use cyber activity to augment
state income, overcoming UN sanctions to a
China: Famous for the 'Great Firewall' that degree.
blocks mostly European and UN tech firms from
its internet, China has stressed its sovereign European Union: The EU and its 27 Member
control over all other goals. Second, it seeks to States have been ardent supporters of user
expend influence, through its own firms, and information security. They have repeatedly
through control over UN agencies. China has challenged the dominance of American tech
readily adopted, utilized, and developed cyber firms, and increasingly question those from
capabilities at an astounding rate.20 Viewing China, too.23 In terms of addressing cyber-
cyberspace as a new realm for interacting within attacks and terrorism, the EU has established
the international community, China specifically several regional organizations to address the
focuses on its own domestic information issue. In a move that anticipates its priorities for
security to prevent dissent. It favors international the UN, it established the EU Cybersecurity Act
in February 2020.24 The EU is highly sensitive

18 21
Hafizah Osman, ' Cyber security a top priority in www.csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-
Australia: Deloitte', Tech Advisor, 1 November 2012 public/legacy_files/files/publication/151216_Cha_No
https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/feature/security/cyber- rthKoreasCyberOperations_Web.pdf
22
security-top-priority-in-australia-deloitte-3408391/ Andrea Peterson, 'The Sony Pictures hack,
19
Ashish Rajadhyaksha, In the Wake of Aadhaar: explained', Washington Post, 18 December 2014,
The Digital Ecosystem of Governance in India. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-
Bangalore, 2013, switch/wp/2014/12/18/the-sony-pictures-hack-
https://egov.eletsonline.com/2012/11/government-to- explained/
23
invest-200-mn-in-4-yrs-on-cyber-security- Cybersecurity in Europe: stronger rules and better
infrastructure/; protection. Brussels: European Council and the
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-india-uk-to- Council of the EU, 31 July 2020,
conduct-talks-bi-annually-on-cyber-security-1762061 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/cyberse
20
Lyu Jinghua, ' What Are China’s Cyber curity/
24
Capabilities and Intentions?' Carnegie Endowment The EU Cybersecurity Act. Brussels; European
for International Peace, 1 April Commission, 28 February 2020,
2019, https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/eu-
https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/04/01/what-are- cybersecurity-act
china-s-cyber-capabilities-and-intentions-pub-78734

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 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

to Internet security, and especially insistent that the threat that fast-changing information and
the privacy and rights of private users be technologies could be used for purposes that are
protected from spying by governments. contradictory with maintaining international law
and stability.28 Many in the NAM have proposed
Iran: Iran has been both a victim and originator that a legal framework be developed within the
of cyber conflict. In 2009 is was attacked by UN to combat these rising issues.
Israel and the US through their Olympic Games
(Stuxnet) campaign to temporarily disable part Russia: Although fiercely denied by its leaders
of its nuclear infrastructure. Iran also has been a and spokesmen, Russia is widely suspected or
willing participant in the development of cyber major internet and social media attacks on
capabilities to address cyber defense and against infrastructure (such as electricity
attacks.25 The Iranian history of significant generation), news media and electoral systems in
cyber-attacks is quite large, with a heavy countries like Ukraine, the UK and US.29 Yet,
reliance on attacking critical systems for Russia has also been an ardent supporter of UN
opposing states.26 Most recently following the actions to curtail cybercrime. A significant
American assassination of General Qassem resolution was passed through the General
Soleimani, the threat of Iranian cyberattacks Assembly, written by Russia.30 In this sense,
increased.27 In the UN, Iran favors a state- Russia has become increasingly skilled at
centered approach to cyber security issues like navigating the processes of the UN to further
cyber attack their approach to cyber governance which has
been criticized as “digital authoritarianism.”
Non-Aligned Movement: For the 120 Member They also helped create the OEWG, being the
States of UN's largest voting bloc, development main state to propose new rules and a more
aspects outrank other concerns. NAM Member universal recognition of cyber. Russia has
States may be willing to join resolutions to recently released a statement on the issue of
tighten international standards or support action cyber security in lieu of the Covid-19 pandemic.
against specific countries, even fellow NAM
members like DPR Korea or Iran. In exchange The United States: American cyber security
they will insist on generous development policy focuses on combatting cyber-attacks by
assistant, such as financial support for their securing America's domestic networks and
national broadband networks and cyber law critical infrastructures, along with expanding
enforcement capabilities. The NAM focuses on American influence and norms internationally.31

25
James Andrew Lewis, 'Iran and Cyber Power', UN General Assembly, 24 October 2016,
Center for Strategic and International Studies, 25 www.un.org/press/en/2016/gadis3560.doc.htm
June 2019, https://www.csis.org/analysis/iran-and- 29
Tim Maurer and Garrett Hinck, 'Russia’s Cyber
cyber-power Strategy', Milan: Italian Institute for International
26
Significant Cyber Incidents, op.cit., Political Studies, 21 December 2018,
https://www.csis.org/programs/technology-policy- www.ispionline.it/en/pubblicazione/russias-cyber-
program/significant-cyber-incidents strategy-21835;
27
National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin, www.russiaun.ru/en/news/arria_220520
30
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, 4 January 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/04
https://www.dhs.gov/ntas/advisory/national- /un-passed-russia-backed-cybercrime-resolution-
terrorism-advisory-system-bulletin-january-4-2020 thats-not-good-news-internet-freedom/
28 31
'Calling for Norms to Stymie Cyberattacks, First President Donald J. Trump, National Cyber
Committee Speakers Say States Must Work Together Strategy of the United States of America September
in Preventing Information Arms Race.', New York: 2018. Washington, D.C.: The White House, 2018,
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-

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 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

The US believes that international cyber stability States were personal freedom and
and conflict prevention are best advanced by privacy are more important.
current international law. Recently, the U.S has
been increasingly aggressive towards cyber • Establish an independent UN agency
threats, increasingly striking suspected threats to monitor Internet activity and
preemptively. Part of this includes being more report to Member States on Internet
open in declaring the suspected culprits of use and attacks by their citizens or
cyberattacks. Cyber has become a massive part foreign sources. This also could be
of American defense and foreign policy, with especially popular in Member States
proposals in 2019 made by the Cyberspace that already restrict private Internet
Solarium Commission to work more closely activity. It will be opposed by Member
with the private sector in sharing information States were personal freedom and
with agencies like the NSA and Cybersecurity privacy are more important. Financing
and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). and staffing for the new agencies would
have to be established.
Proposals for Action
• Propose a global definition of cyber
The UN response to cyberspace is still in its terrorism, cyber-attacks, cyber
infancy, thus the only precedence lies in similar security as part of an effort to establish
issues which could be capable in informing or a foundation for new international laws,
framing resolutions. The pre-existing resolutions rules, and norms.
offer a framework to proceed in addressing
issues related to cyber security, but be aware of • Provide technical assistance to states
what kind of action the U.N has undertaken, to increase their security capabilities
whether it be setting up the Group of against potential cyber- attacks.
Governmental Experts to make reports on the Financing and paying for technical
use of cyberspace, or sub-organizations like assistance could be a problem, but
UNODC, UNOCT, and the ITU. These all focus countries interested in expanding their
on improving knowledge and security of global influence might be willing to
Member States and businesses against cyber subsidize such a resolution, if it favors
terrorism and crime. Some potential proposals to their firms.
consider include:
• Sponsor the development of a U.N.
• Require Internet service providers—
framework organization to coordinate
the companies that make the internet
all cyber security responses and
work—to monitor and enforce
considerations.
restrictions on use of the Internet to
harm the infrastructure or interests of
UN Member States. This could be • Encourage Member States to prepare
especially popular in Member States their own defenses. Such a limited
that already restrict private Internet proposal might be most popular with
activity. It will be opposed by Member Member States determined to protect

content/uploads/2018/09/National-Cyber- www.economist.com/united-
Strategy.pdf; 'Cyber-defence ; and, 'America rethinks states/2020/05/28/america-rethinks-its-strategy-in-
its strategy in the Wild West of cyberspace', The the-wild-west-of-cyberspace
Economist, 28 May 2020,

10
 Cyber Security:
Cyber Crime, Attacks and Terrorism

their national sovereignty and avoid • Finance the development of offensive

new obligations. cyber capabilities in order to establish
deterrent measures to prevent cyber-
• Establish rules for sanctioning states attacks.
responsible for carrying out, funding,
or assisting in cyber-attacks against • Provide the means for the revival of
other states, international organizations, the typewriter construction industry
or corporations. and other intranet systems. After all
states cannot hack what is not
connected to the internet.

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