Successful Conference on International Cyber Security 2022
The Hague Program on International Cyber Security focuses on the various modes of governance that states and other actors can bring into play to deal with and shape the strategic challenges in the digital environment. This years conference focused on international cyber security and the role of the emerging technologies.
The Hague Program on International Cyber Security organised it's annual academic conference this year and presented a broad overview of contemporary cybersecurity related topics. Among the participants were a lot of academics, experts and some policymakers from the international cybersecurity field. The conference was held at het Spaansche Hof, which gave a tremendous atmosphere to spark conversations on the cybersecurity topic.
Day 1: The contemporary cybersecurity field
Welcomed by Dennis Broeders, the participants started off by listening to key speaker Jason Healey, who talked about the power and peril of cyber narratives for policymaking. In between the talks by keyspeakers and panel discussions, participants could network over delicious meals. One of the encountered problems among participants was the choice of panel discussion to follow next, as all subjects sounded so interesting.
The complexity of contemporary cybersecurity issues became clear during all talks, for example regarding international law and norms. What should states' discourses be on international cyberoperations?
One panel discussion debated the strategic game on grand narratives gave food for thought about the quest for Digital Soverignty in a complex global cyber regime. Another debated on national narratives on cybersecurity, the Chinese cybernarrative was decoded and the clash of the view of the West in the Sino-Indian rivalry was presented. The war between Russia and Ukraine and the influence of media framing on the cyber conflict, was also addressed.
The first day ended with a talk by Josephine Wolff turning the spotlight onto the evolution of the cyberinsurance market and its impact on cybersecurity.
Day 2: Cyber and disinformation operations
The second day began with a conversation about the threats, tools and weapons posed by Russia and the internet. Cybercrime also came to light as a panel discussion highlighting the regarding state behaviour and social media framing from a cybersecurity perspective.
In addition, considering legal and regulatory issues regarding intelligence, Just Intelligence Theory was presented and dual-use in the discourse on spyware elaborately explained. The challenges and opportunities of technology and internet governance were put into perspective while the other panel discussion spoke about militarising the cyber conversation.
Navigating Narratives in Cyberspace
In the final roundtable, Russian cyber and information operations in the context of the war in Ukraine were discussed. The following questions came to light: How is Russia using information operations to sow division in the west on Ukraine? What types of cyber operations have we seen in the conflict? Has Russia evolved its tactics since 2016? Which disinformation narratives are dominant? Does Russia have a coherent information strategy or are the operations reactive? How have different countries and platforms dealt with the problem?
Best Paper Award
The last part consisted of the prize-giving ceremony towards the winning research of Sean Garrett about 'The British Foreign Policy Narrative of Russian Disinformation'.
Afterwards everyone went home with a feeling of gratitude towards all other participants and speakers, shaping it into a succesful cybersecurity conference. Experiences were also shared online mentioning the gain of inspiration, the fascination towards other academics and the proud feelings of having been part of this conference.
More information about The Hague program on International Cyber Security can be found on the website.
Photos made by Monique Shaw.
