The Quest For Cyber Peace

UPDATE 2011-12-18: also see Countering cyber war (.pdf, NATO Review, Winter 2001/2002).

In January 2011, ITU published The Quest For Cyber Peace (website). Here is its foreword:

“In the world of 2011, we enjoy the benefits of a boundless global information society, but with these benefits comes the threat of cyber attacks. They can arise anywhere, at anytime, and cause immense damage in the blink of an eye. This potential damage is increased exponentially by the linking of information and communication technologies (ICTs) with vital national infrastructures.

We must act now to stem this growing threat.

At the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), world leaders and governments entrusted the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with the task of coordinating a mechanism for building confidence and security in the use of ICTs. Since that time, Secretary General Touré has launched the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA), and ITU has actively pursued fulfillment of this mandate through a number of initiatives. Above all else, ITU remains deeply concerned about cyberthreats among its Member States.

The World Federation of Scientists (WFS) promotes international collaboration in science and technology between scientists and researchers from all parts of the world. It strives to advance the free exchange of information so that everyone can benefit from the progress of science. In 2009, the WFS’s Permanent Monitoring Panel (PMP) on Information Security drafted the Erice Declaration on Principles of Cyber Stability and Cyber Peace, which calls for concerted, international action to ensure that information networks and systems remain stable, reliable, available, and trusted. The Declaration was adopted by the Plenary of the WFS on the occasion of the 42nd Session of the International Seminars on Planetary Emergencies in Erice (Sicily) on 20 August 2009 and has been distributed to every Member State of the ITU.

To achieve the mutual goal of ensuring Cyber Peace, collaboration between ITU and members of the science and technology community is critical. We cannot effectively confront the threat of cyberwar without the involvement of those with expert knowledge and insight of the technologies that are changing the global landscape.

This volume gives voice to that community. It represents a necessary step in the process of building international cooperation to address these challenges. We are grateful for the opportunity to present all our views on this critical issue.”

Direct link to .pdf: here.

Also, be reminded of these great resources:

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