Officials, practitioners and experts gather in Bratislava for OSCE-wide conference on the future of cybersecurity

BRATISLAVA, 19 June 2019 - Trends, challenges and opportunities related to inter-state security in the ICT/cyber space were the focus of a conference that brought together more than 200 representatives of governments, the private sector, civil society, academia and the UN for an OSCE-wide conference on 17 and 18 June 2019. The conference, Cyber/ICT Security for a Safer Future: The OSCE’s Role in Fostering Regional Cyber Security, was organized by the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship, in co-operation with the Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat.

Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia Richard Raši opened the conference by emphasizing that cyber/ICT can act as “both an incredible opportunity and a major vulnerability.”“Malware and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, massive data breaches and misuse of artificial intelligence can all wreak havoc on our lives and economies and threaten critical infrastructure,” he said. “The OSCE, in line with its mandate on conflict prevention and its comprehensive approach to security, has pioneered multilateral co-operation to prevent conflict arising from the use or misuse of cyber/ICT.”

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger highlighted the valuable role of regional organizations in contributing to cyber security.

“They can be incubators for new ideas and practical efforts that relate to Confidence-Building Measures as well as an implementer of globally accepted agreements,” he said. “The promotion of effective crisis communication channels, international co-operation, especially at the policy level, as well as measures to enhance national and regional cyber/ICT security capacities are core elements of efforts needed to advance cyber security at the national and regional levels.” 

Among the topics explored at the conference were cyber attacks, the disruption of critical infrastructure, electoral interference, the weaponization of Artificial Intelligence and disinformation campaigns. An interactive scenario-based discussion allowed government participants to better understand the implications and results of an attack on critical infrastructure, and provided hands-on experience in responding to such an incident. 

While focusing on the OSCE’s role in tackling regional cybersecurity challenges, including through the implementation of its pioneering 16 Confidence-Building Measures related to ICT/cyber security and the efforts of its Informal Working Group, the conference also had a strong global focus.

The conference hosted, on its margins, the very first consultations of the newly formed UN Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications (UN GGE).

A panel discussion, including the Chairs of the UN GGE, Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota of Brazil; the UN Open-Ended-Working Group, Ambassador Jürg Lauber of Switzerland; and the OSCE Informal Working Group, Ambassador Károly Dán of Hungary, highlighted the complementary nature of the OSCE’s work in the context of ongoing global policy discussions related to cybersecurity.

The participation of Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, as well as the Acting Head of the European External Action Service’s Policy Division, Rory Domm, in the conference reflected the need for strong multilateral co-operation in this area. 

The conference was designed with a strong people-focus. Among the side events held was a discussion on the need to break down remaining barriers for employment in the ICT/cyber sectors, in particular for women and girls.

Various speakers also stressed that efforts to advance national, regional and global cybersecurity should be firmly grounded in commitments to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.