The Cyber Statecraft Initiative works at the nexus of geopolitics, technology, and security to craft strategies to help shape the conduct of statecraft and to better inform and secure users. This work extends through the competition of state and non-state actors, the security of the internet and computing systems, the safety of operational technology and physical systems, and the communities of cyberspace. The Initiative convenes a diverse network of passionate and knowledgeable contributors, bridging the gap among technical, policy, and user communities.

Our work

The Atlantic Council Technology Programs comprises five existing efforts—the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), the GeoTech Center, the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, the Democracy + Tech Initiative, and the Capacity Building Initiative. These operations work together to address the geopolitical implications of technology and provide policymakers and global stakeholders necessary research, insights, and convenings to address challenges around global technology and ensure its responsible advancement.

Team

Fellows

Publications

New Atlanticist

May 17, 2017

‘If We Can’t Afford to Protect it, Then We Can’t Afford to Connect it’

The ransomware attack that shut down a number of hospitals in the United Kingdom (UK) on May 12 should serve as a wake-up call to defend critical infrastructure against cyberterrorism, according to an Atlantic Council analyst. “I was never worried that ransomware was going to deliberately kill someone,” said Joshua Corman, director of the Atlantic […]

New Atlanticist

May 15, 2017

A Simple Security Update Could Have Prevented Ransomware Attack

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A cyberattack that has crippled 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries could have been prevented had the victims conducted a simple security update. “One of the lessons learned here is that people just do not patch their systems,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, a nonresident senior fellow in the Cyber Statecraft Initiative of the Atlantic Council’s […]

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

In the News

May 15, 2017

Woods in The Guardian: The NHS Got Lucky – For Now. Cyber-Attacks Will Only Get Worse

By Beau Woods

Read the full article here.

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

In the News

May 15, 2017

Corman Quoted by E&E News on “Ransomware” Cyberattack

By Joshua Corman

Read the full article here.

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

In the News

May 15, 2017

Woods Joins WSBTV on Recent Global Cyberattack

By Beau Woods

Watch the full interview here.

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

May 3, 2017

Cyber War’s Terror Trinity: Means, Motive, and Opportunity

By Ian Fairchild

In March of 2003, I commanded an EC-130 Compass Call, an aircraft configured to perform tactical command, control, and communications countermeasures, over the skies of Iraq. My crew’s mission was to jam enemy communications and help allied forces preserve Iraq’s oil infrastructure. During these missions, we positioned ourselves some distance from the intended target, while […]

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

Cyber 9/12 Project

Apr 17, 2017

2017 US Cyber 9/12 Student Challenge

By Asvatha Babu

Held at American University’s Washington College of Law, this was the fifth and biggest iteration of the annual student competition. Forty-five teams from 32 universities from across the United States took on the roles of cyber policy experts advising the National Security Council on how to react to a fictional cyber catastrophe.

Cybersecurity

In the News

Apr 10, 2017

Corman Quoted by CyberScoop on Microsoft and Cyberattacks

By Joshua Corman

Read the full article here.

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

Issue Brief

Apr 7, 2017

Confronting transatlantic cybersecurity challenges in the internet of things

By Beau Woods

Beau Woods authors ‘Confronting Transatlantic Cybersecurity Challenges in the Internet of Things,’ in which he explains how the society is only one cyber crisis away from proving how unimaginative policy makers have been.

Cybersecurity
English

Issue Brief

Apr 7, 2017

Confronting transatlantic cybersecurity challenges in the internet of things

By Beau Woods

In 2016, a series of highly impactful and publicized disruptions provided a wake-up call to societies on both sides of the Atlantic making obvious their dependence on inherently unpredictable technology. Just before the year began, a targeted attack disrupted the Ukrainian energy grid, forcing its operators to fall back on decades-old manual processes, and a […]

Cybersecurity
English

Events


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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