Cyber Security Norms

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In the opinion editorial "The World Needs New Norms on Cyberwarfare", written by Joseph S. Nye Jr. a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, the question of a need for an international cyber security treaty is discussed. A full version of the editorial written for The Washington Post opinions web page on October 1, 2015 can be found at the following link The world needs new norms on cyberwarfare - The Washington Post . Nye's editorial explains the need for International cyber security and the solutions that were discussed at the White House news conference between President Obama and President Xi Jinping. First, Nye questions whether "cyber arms control" is the solution to the problem, and that with cyber warfare being inexpensive, as…show more content…
• Establish hotlines to increase communication during an attack. (Nye) Over all Nye believes that the answer to International cyber security may not lie in the creation of treaties, but with a policy of "self-restraint". Nye argues that if the United States disclosed vulnerabilities to the public in a timely manner, this could prevent other governments and criminals from exploiting these vulnerabilities. Thus by disarming our country in this way the value of cyber attacks would be become an irrelevant issue. Finally, Nye mentions that talks such as this are just the first step in a long process and if would not deal with the many other cyber treats that plague today's society. The…show more content…
Nye claims that setting a standard of self-restraint would be the optimal plan of attack. I disagree with Nye's claim, because he overlooks the fact that having a treaty with different governments could potentially increase the resources available to stop cyber warfare. Furthermore he contends that it ". . .can be hard to distinguish. . ." and ". . . difficult and time-consuming to determine who is behind their use." Although this may be true, partnering with other nations could drastically reduce these problem areas for both side. As a result there would not only be safer cyber environment, but this would also hinder and deter further cyber crime. Because I have worked for the federal government I know the many vulnerabilities that are present within their cyber networks, and because technology is advancing so quickly it can be difficult to keep up with those changes. I truly believe that creating a treaty of standards to utilize during peacetime would benefit all governments

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