Programs

The Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, part of the Atlantic Council Technology Programs, works at the nexus of geopolitics and cybersecurity to craft strategies to help shape the conduct of statecraft and to better inform and secure users of technology.

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Content

Virtual creative lock symbol and microcircuit illustration on flag of China and blurry cityscape background. Protection and firewall concept.

Report

Oct 18, 2024

Capture the (red) flag: An inside look into China’s hacking contest ecosystem

By Dakota Cary and Eugenio Benincasa

China has built the world’s most comprehensive ecosystem for capture-the-flag (CTF) competitions—the predominant form of hacking competitions, which range from team-versus-team play to Jeopardy-style knowledge challenges.

China Cybersecurity

AfricaSource

Oct 7, 2024

Effective cybersecurity in Africa must start with the basics

By Yasmine Abdillahi

Grand strategies and policies often lack practicality, especially for African firms with limited capacity. For them, core and basic practices are often easier to achieve.

Africa Cybersecurity

Balkans Debrief

Oct 1, 2024

How do cyber-attacks threaten the Balkans? | A Debrief with Dan Ilazi and Filip Stojanovski

Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Dan Ilazi and Filip Stojanovski about the political and economic threats of cyber-attacks for the Western Balkans.

Cybersecurity European Union

In the News

Sep 25, 2024

Dakota Cary’s research in WIRED on Chinese hacking competitions

Did Chinese college students conduct a government-backed cyberattack on a real world target?

China Cybersecurity

Report

Sep 9, 2024

Defense technology and innovation in Germany

By Sven Weizenegger

This paper explores the critical aspects of defense technology and innovation within the  German armed forces, detailing the necessity for innovation, the role of defense innovation hubs (specifically the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub CIHBw), the significance of software-defined defense, the contribution of venture capitalists, and the importance of a  supportive legal framework. 

Cybersecurity Defense Industry

Report

Sep 4, 2024

Mythical Beasts and where to find them: Mapping the global spyware market and its threats to national security and human rights

By Jen Roberts, Trey Herr, Nitansha Bansal, and Nancy Messieh, with Emma Taylor, Jean Le Roux, and Sopo Gelava

The Mythical Beasts project pulls back the curtain on the connections between 435 entities across forty-two countries in the global spyware market.

Cybersecurity

Conflict, Risk, and Tech

Sep 4, 2024

Mythical Beasts and where to find them: Data and methodology

By Jen Roberts, Trey Herr, Nitansha Bansal, and Nancy Messieh, with Emma Taylor, Jean Le Roux, and Sopo Gelava

Learn more about the methodology and dataset behind Mythical Beasts and where to find them: Mapping the global spyware market and its threats to national security and human rights

Cybersecurity

Report

Sep 4, 2024

Mythical Beasts and where to find them

By Jen Roberts, Trey Herr, Nitansha Bansal, and Nancy Messieh, with Emma Taylor, Jean Le Roux, and Sopo Gelava

Mythical Beasts and Where to Find Them: Mapping the Global Spyware Market and its Threats to National Security and Human Rights is concerned with the commercial market for spyware and provides data on market participants.

Cybersecurity

In the News

Aug 21, 2024

McCue co-authors chapter in edited volume on US and Indian approaches to nuclear security challenges

By Atlantic Council

On August 13, 2024, Forward Defense Visiting Senior Fellow Lieutenant Colonel James McCue co-authored a chapter in a new book published by Springer titled The Challenges of Nuclear Security: U.S. and Indian Perspectives.

Arms Control Crisis Management

Issue Brief

Aug 19, 2024

AI in cyber and software security:  What’s driving opportunities and risks?

By Maia Hamin, Jennifer Lin, Trey Herr

This issue brief discusses the drivers of evolving risks and opportunities presented by generative artificial intelligence (GAI), particularly in cybersecurity, while acknowledging the broader implications for policymakers and for national security.

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity
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Experts

Fellow

Andrea Rigoni

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

Fellow

Trevor H. Rudolph

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoTech Center

Cybersecurity Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Audrey Roh

Project Assistant

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Cybersecurity Japan

Fellow

Yasmine Abdillahi

Nonresident Fellow

Africa Center

Africa Cybersecurity

Fellow

Chinmayi Sharma

Nonresident Fellow

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

Staff

Urmita Chowdhury

Assistant Director, Trainings and Competitions

Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Bengali Cybersecurity
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