America could protect cyberspace like WMDs

By: Justin Lynch

The State Department is building a coalition of allies in cyberspace that it hopes can deter state-backed malicious activity, according to a top diplomat.

Rob Strayer, the deputy assistant secretary for cyber and international communications at the State Department, told Fifth Domain that the agency is trying to build a voluntary framework of countries that the United States can work with on cyber issues.

The plan is for the alliance to impose consequences after malicious events in cyberspace. Strayer said that although there are norms in cyberspace, they do not enforce themselves.

With the coalition of like-minded states in cyberspace, the State Department can coordinate legal, diplomatic, and attribution with a range of countries. One model is the attribution of the WannaCry and NotPetya cyberattacks, which the U.S. blamed on foreign countries in concert with other nations.

Strayer said the program's initial seeds were planted after a 2017 executive order from President Donald Trump on cybersecurity.

He did not disclose which countries would be involved or when the digital alliance would be complete.

Full article: https://www.fifthdomain.com/civilian/2018/08/01/america-could-protect-cyberspace-like-wmds