GPPi fellow comments on cyber-security in Russian newspaper Kommersant

On 8 February 2012, the Russian newspaper Kommersant published a commentary by GPPi Fellow Tim Maurer on the international negotiations over cyber-security. The piece is part of a special that the Kommersant ran on cyber-security, which also includes contributions from American and Russian officials.

Maurer calls for more openness in the discussion about cyber-security. He argues that states must signal their policies and strategies to avoid misperceptions and misunderstandings among each other. The policy documents published by the US government in 2011 are a first step in that direction.

Looking forward, Maurer writes that establishing global norms around cyber-security requires classic diplomacy and international cooperation. This includes concrete confidence-building measures, establishing direct bilateral communication channels and the involvement of military officials in international coordination. A key question is whether all states, notably China, agree that the established system of rules among states, particularly the law of armed conflict, covers cyberspace, or whether they will insist on creating new ones.

Click here to read the piece in Russian, or download an English version.