Featured commentary and analysis

Timely Commentary & Analysis

Capacity Building Initiative Jan 13, 2020

Cyber 9/12: Education and innovation on a global scale

By Will Loomis

One of the most important barriers to robust global cybersecurity is the shortage of capable individuals in the workforce pipeline. By 2021, predictions suggest that the world will have more than 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs, with both the private and public sectors facing hiring shortages. While the United States has budding international relations, cybersecurity, and IT-focused academic programs, very little has been done to address the interaction between them, which will be crucial for the success of future cybersecurity professionals.
Cybersecurity
Timely Commentary & Analysis

Conflict, Risk, and Tech Oct 28, 2019

The zero-day war? How cyber is reshaping the future of the most combustible conflicts

By Simon Handler

Conventional wisdom would suggest that scaled-up capabilities, growing competition, and the proliferation of malware across cyberspace presents a legitimate risk of escalation in state conflict, transcending the cyber domain toward the kinetic. However, recent history has shown that states have more often availed themselves of their offensive cyber arsenals to achieve surprisingly de-escalatory effects.
Cybersecurity Iran
Timely Commentary & Analysis

New Atlanticist Oct 9, 2019

How governments can use cyber tools irresponsibly to preserve power

By Safa Shahwan

The Kazakh case serves as an example of irresponsible cyber statecraft, when governments use cyberspace and technological tools to achieve specific political goals, placing the rights of citizens, as well as their political legitimacy, on the line.

Central Asia Cybersecurity

All timely commentary & analysis

Conflict, Risk, and Tech

Oct 28, 2019

The zero-day war? How cyber is reshaping the future of the most combustible conflicts

By Simon Handler

Conventional wisdom would suggest that scaled-up capabilities, growing competition, and the proliferation of malware across cyberspace presents a legitimate risk of escalation in state conflict, transcending the cyber domain toward the kinetic. However, recent history has shown that states have more often availed themselves of their offensive cyber arsenals to achieve surprisingly de-escalatory effects.

Cybersecurity Iran

New Atlanticist

Oct 9, 2019

How governments can use cyber tools irresponsibly to preserve power

By Safa Shahwan

The Kazakh case serves as an example of irresponsible cyber statecraft, when governments use cyberspace and technological tools to achieve specific political goals, placing the rights of citizens, as well as their political legitimacy, on the line.

Central Asia Cybersecurity
Cyber security official

Conflict, Risk, and Tech

Sep 17, 2019

The American way of cyber warfare and the case of ISIS

By JD Work

The Cyber Vault collection shows the complexity in design and executing offensive cyber operations which help distinguish an ‘American way’ of cyber warfare—one that is no doubt closely mirrored by many of our allies.

Cybersecurity

Cyber Risk Wednesdays

Mar 27, 2019

Cyber Risk Wednesday: Supply Chain Security in the 21st Century

By Jared Zimmerman

On March 27, 2019, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, hosted a public panel to discuss supply chain cybersecurity. The timely discussion, underwritten by Raytheon, followed on the heels of the March 25 disclosure that computer hardware company ASUS had unwittingly been delivering malicious software to ASUS computer owners via its automatic software update utility.

Cybersecurity

Cyber 9/12 Project

Mar 21, 2019

7th Annual DC Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge

By Jared Zimmerman

On March 21-22, 2019, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative hosted its seventh annual DC Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge. United States Air Force Academy’s team, “Delogrand,” winning first place in the Student Track and National Defense University College of Information and Cyberspace’s team, “NDU Team 3,” winning first place in the Professional Track. Grand prize for […]

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

Cyber Risk Wednesdays

Feb 27, 2019

Cyber Risk Wednesday: Operationalizing Cyber Strategies

By William Loomis

On February 27, 2019, as part of its Cyber Risk Wednesday event series underwritten by Raytheon, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative hosted a public panel discussion on how the United States can operationalize its cyber strategies. In 2018, the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the White House all released their own […]

Cybersecurity

Cyber 9/12 Project

Oct 17, 2018

Cyber Risk Wednesday: Protecting US Critical Infrastructure

By Jack Watson

On October 17, 2018, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative hosted a public panel discussion on the security of US critical infrastructure as a part of its Cyber Risk Wednesday event series, underwritten by Raytheon. The vital nature of critical infrastructure to the nation’s security, prosperity, and well-being render it a key target to malicious actors in cyberspace.

Cybersecurity

Event Recap

Oct 10, 2018

Managing Cyber Risks to Protect Financial Stability

By Jack Watson

On October 10, 2018, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative convened key stakeholders from the financial, governmental and academic communities to convene for the release of a joint report by the Brookings Institution and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, The Future of Financial Stability and Cyber Risk.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

Event Recap

Sep 18, 2018

Hacker-Powered Security: Voices on Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure

By Sarah Anne Aarup

The event “Hacker-Powered Security: Voices on Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure” hosted at the Atlantic Council’s headquarters on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, celebrated the launch of the comic book, It Takes a Village: How Hacktivity Can Save Your Company—an endeavor of the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative supported by HackerOne, a company that connects ethical, white-hat hackers […]

Event Recap

Sep 12, 2018

Election Interference: Emerging Norms of Digital Statecraft

By Jack Watson

On September 12, 2018, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative launched an issue brief, Defining Russian Election Interference: An Analysis of Select 2014 to 2018 Cyber Enabled Incidents. As the extent of foreign interference in domestic elections over the world becomes clear, an essential first step in combatting cyber-enabled interference is developing a common terminology […]

Russia
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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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