Digital Event #5: Strengthening Norms and

Nonmilitary Tools

May 14, 2020

On Thursday, May 14th, the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission hosted an event on Pillar 2 of our final report: “Strengthening Norms and Non-Military Tools.”

Relying on norms to deter malicious behavior in cyberspace may seem like a paper tiger, but imagine a nation-state launching a cyber attack against another country’s critical infrastructure. Instead of drifting back into the anonymity of cyberspace, the malign actor could face more than a dozen different governments publicly calling out the crime. This kind of enforcement is possible. In fact, it happened as recently as February of this year, when more than fifteen countries condemned Russia’s hacking of Georgia. However, this collaboration was the exception and not the rule. As a part of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission’s work on improving U.S. cybersecurity, we recommend changes to U.S. international leadership and improvements to non-military tools of state power—like law enforcement, sanctions, and capacity building—to more consistently enforce cyber norms and shape behavior in cyberspace.

Panelists:

• Mark Montgomery: Executive Director (Moderator)

• Val Cofield: Senior Director and Task Force Three Team Lead

• Laura Bate: Director of Cyber Engagement, Task Force Three

• Karrie Jefferson: Director of Cyber Engagement, Task Force Three

• Sang Lee: Director of Cyber Engagement, Task Force Three