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

Jan 24, 2012

Civil Disobedience in Cyberspace: A Tale of Two Online Protests

By Jason Healey

Cyberspace brings us ever-changing technologies and resulting social norms, some of which are often in tension with more traditional conventions. Nowhere is this tension more apparent than between intellectual property rights and free sharing of information online. Two recent online protests – one criminal and largely a failure, the other legal and successful – illustrate the […]

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

Issue Brief

Dec 14, 2011

The Five Futures of Cyber Conflict and Cooperation

By Jason Healey

The word cyberspace is nearly thirty years old and during that time, academics, theorists, and strategists have been considering how conflict will unfold in this new domain. As yet, though, little has been published on what kinds of different futures may await us. To address this gap, Jason Healey in a new Atlantic Council issue brief […]

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Dec 12, 2011

The New US “Blueprint” for National Cyber Security

By Jason Healey

Two and a half years since President Obama announced that “America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is finally launching their new cybersecurity strategy.

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

Cyber 9/12 Project

Dec 8, 2011

The Cyber 9/12 Project

On December 8, the Atlantic Council and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) hosted an all-day, scenario-driven, interactive conference to discuss the day-after response to a transatlantic cyber incident held at the International Spy Museum. During off-the-record panel sessions, representatives from various sectors, including US and foreign governments, and information and communication technology companies, discussed the […]

Cybersecurity

New Atlanticist

Oct 18, 2011

Why the US Explored “Cyber War” Against Libya, And Why It Backed Down

By Jason Healey

We should not be surprised that, according to the New York Times, the Obama administration and military commanders considered “a cyberoffensive to disrupt and even disable the Qaddafi government’s air-defense system.” Indeed there are three key reasons why military leadership would be negligent if they did not ask about cyber options:

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 3, 2011

Cyberterror is Aspirational Blather

By Jason Healey

The Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative recently hosted a conference call to discuss the terrorist use of the Internet and how it has evolved in the ten years since 9/11.

New Atlanticist

Sep 28, 2011

Why No Cyber 9/11s Yet?

By Jason Healey

Fears of a catastrophic cyber attack against national infrastructure go back well before 2001, but the attacks of a decade ago have given this possibility a new name: a “cyber 9/11.” The feeling persists that a large-scale cyber attack is just around the corner. Yet, despite these fears, there have been no such catastrophic attacks.  […]

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Sep 21, 2011

Breakthrough or Just Broken? China and Russia’s UNGA Proposal on Cyber Norms

By Jason Healey

China and Russia just dropped a surprising draft resolution at the United Nations General Assembly. 

China
International Organizations

Issue Brief

Sep 21, 2011

US Declaratory Policy and Striking Back in Cyber Conflict

By Jason Healey

In one of the year’s most poorly understood bit of cyber news, the United States has again announced it may use military force in response to a cyber attack. In a new publication, Jason Healey, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, puts this cyber “declaratory policy” into the proper context, both how it fits […]

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Sep 15, 2011

The Reality of 9/11-Related Predictions of Cyber Attacks

By Jason Healey

After the 9/11 attacks a decade ago, it seemed that threats were waiting for us around every border, hiding in every cave, and ready to pounce from everywhere, including cyberspace. To be sure, some of those threats did in fact materialize against the United States, our allies and interests.

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

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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