Cyberspace, Digital Policy & Tech-Diplomacy Strategic Unit
An operational unit of the Geopolitical Strategy and Statecraft Division, developing international frameworks for governing cyberspace and advancing technology diplomacy — building the norms, agreements, and institutional architectures that manage state competition in the digital domain and ensure that emerging technologies serve human flourishing rather than geopolitical conflict.
Mission & Operational Scope
Building the Rules of the Road for State Behavior in Cyberspace
Cyberspace has become a domain of intense geopolitical competition without the rules, norms, and institutions that govern competition in other domains. State-sponsored cyber operations — espionage, sabotage, election interference, and attacks on critical infrastructure — occur constantly, with limited accountability and no agreed framework for what constitutes an act of war. The fragmentation of the internet into competing national models — the open internet versus the Chinese model of internet sovereignty — threatens to divide the digital commons that has been the foundation of global communication and commerce. Artificial intelligence is accelerating these dynamics in ways that existing governance frameworks are wholly unprepared to address.
This unit develops the international frameworks that govern state behavior in cyberspace — building the norms, confidence-building measures, and institutional architectures that reduce the risk of cyber conflict and ensure that digital technologies are governed in ways that serve human interests.
Governing Doctrine
Frameworks & Standards
- UN GGE/OEWGUN Group of Governmental Experts and Open-Ended Working Group — international processes developing norms for responsible state behavior in cyberspace
- Tallinn ManualTallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations — authoritative expert analysis of how existing international law applies to state cyber operations
- Budapest ConventionCouncil of Europe Convention on Cybercrime — international framework for cybercrime cooperation applicable to state-sponsored cyber operations and attribution
- WSIS/IGFWorld Summit on the Information Society and Internet Governance Forum — international multi-stakeholder processes for internet governance and digital policy coordination
Operational Capabilities
Six Core Functions
01
Cyberspace Norms Development
Develop international cyberspace norms frameworks — advancing the UN GGE/OEWG process, building state consensus around responsible behavior standards, and developing the verification and accountability mechanisms that give norms operational meaning beyond aspirational declarations.
02
Cyber Incident Attribution Protocols
Develop international cyber incident attribution protocols — establishing the technical standards, diplomatic procedures, and collective response frameworks that allow states to attribute cyber attacks, coordinate responses, and impose costs on perpetrators in ways that deter future attacks.
03
AI Governance Diplomacy
Develop international AI governance diplomacy frameworks — building the multilateral institutions, safety standards, and arms control analogues for AI systems that prevent the most dangerous applications of artificial intelligence while preserving the benefits of AI development.
04
Internet Governance Coordination
Develop international internet governance coordination frameworks — engaging in the multi-stakeholder processes that govern the technical infrastructure of the internet and advocating for governance models that preserve the open, interoperable internet against fragmentation.
05
Technology Standards Diplomacy
Develop international technology standards diplomacy frameworks — coordinating allied positions in international standards bodies, preventing the capture of technical standards processes by authoritarian states, and ensuring that emerging technology standards reflect democratic values.
06
Digital Infrastructure Security Pacts
Develop international digital infrastructure security pacts — establishing the trusted vendor frameworks, undersea cable protection agreements, and satellite communication security standards that protect the physical and logical infrastructure of the global digital economy.