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.

Content

Report

Mar 29, 2021

Broken trust: Lessons from Sunburst

By Trey Herr, Will Loomis, Emma Schroeder, Stewart Scott, Simon Handler, and Tianjiu Zuo

The story of trust is an old one, but the Sunburst cyber-espionage campaign was a startling reminder of the United States’ collective cyber insecurity and the inadequacy of current US strategy to compete in a dynamic intelligence contest in cyberspace.

Cybersecurity Intelligence

UkraineAlert

Mar 25, 2021

The risks of rushing to internet voting in Ukraine

By Serhii Savelii and Meredith Applegate

Ukraine’s vision for digital transformation is ambitious and includes holding online voting for all elections and referendums, but this vision fails to take into account numerous practical obstacles and risks.

Cybersecurity Democratic Transitions

Conflict, Risk, and Tech

Mar 24, 2021

How to reverse three decades of escalating cyber conflict

By Jason Healey and Robert Jervis

Cyber conflict has not yet escalated from a fight inside cyberspace to a more traditional armed attack because of cyberspace. In part, this is because countries understand there are some tacit upper limits to escalation above which the response from the offended country will be war. Unfortunately, this happy state may not last.

Cybersecurity Technology & Innovation

NATO 20/2020

Mar 23, 2021

Design a Digital Marshall Plan: NATO 20/2020 podcast

By The Hon. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)

NATO allies, led by the United States, must cooperate in securing national 5G communications systems in Europe and beyond against malign Chinese influence.

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

In the News

Mar 16, 2021

Borghard quoted in C4ISRNET: In a cyberattack disaster, DoD needs backup squad to fix networks, restart critical systems

By Atlantic Council

On March 16, Erica Borghard was quoted in an article in C4ISRNET about the need for a cyber reserve force. Borghard described the purpose of a cyber reserve force and how it might be organized. “With a growing number of cyber breaches, lawmakers and outside experts are pushing to increase the role of the National […]

Cybersecurity United States and Canada

In the News

Mar 16, 2021

Borghard in The Washington Post: Want to tell Russia to stop hacking US systems? Here’s what works—and what doesn’t

By Atlantic Council

On March 16, Erica Borghard published an article in The Washington Post with Jacqueline Schneider, from the Hoover Institution, about whether cyber operations could be used as signals. Borghard and Schneider show how recent reporting characterizing cyber operations as signals of resolve is misguided. “With nine U.S. federal agencies reportedly still cleaning up after last […]

Cybersecurity United States and Canada

In the News

Mar 9, 2021

Borghard in Lawfare: Was SolarWinds a different type of cyber espionage?

By Atlantic Council

On March 9, Erica Borghard published an article in Lawfare that on the implications of the SolarWinds breach for thinking about cyber espionage versus attack. Borghard evaluated the Biden administration’s approach to SolarWinds and offered a path forward for addressing these kinds of cyber incidents. “The distinction between cyber espionage and cyberattack is important because […]

Cybersecurity United States and Canada

In the News

Mar 9, 2021

David Bray joins Leaders Who Care

David Bray, Director of the Atlantic Council's GeoTech Center, recently joined host Mark Sadovnick in conversation for the "Leaders Who Care" video series. Through their discussions, the pair highlighted the critical role of positive change agents in addressing global issues and the future of cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Technology & Innovation

In the News

Mar 9, 2021

Herr and Handler featured on an episode of the “Acquisition Talk” podcast

By Atlantic Council

Eric Lofgren hosted Trey Herr and Simon Handler from the Cyber Statecraft Initiative on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss how the Department of Defense can improve the resilience of its mission systems.

Cybersecurity Defense Industry

New Atlanticist

Mar 5, 2021

The 5×5—Questioning basic assumptions in the cyber domain

By Simon Handler, Emma Schroeder

Challenging assumptions in cyberspace also means challenging assumptions about the theorists and strategists themselves. International Women’s Day, coming up on March 8, serves as a reminder to include female voices as a means of enriching policy discussions, producing more insightful work, and driving impact.

Cybersecurity Internet

Experts