Event

Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, in collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Gjøvik University College, invites to the seminar:

Cybersikkerhet i internasjonale fora: Hvem skal delta?
(Cyber security in internasjonal forums: Who ought to participate?)

Private businesses control crucial parts of cyberspace. At the same time, cyber security has become a governmental responsibility. How then shall we organize international cooperations concerning questions about cyberspace?

With society's emerging use of digital services, a corresponding addiction to the web and the demand that its services function properly 24/7 is steadily increasing. The risk of abuse, sabotage, espionage and crime are increasing. Simultaneously, geographical borders are of no concern to the cyberspace. Thus, international cooperation is crucial to secure it.

States cannot, however, secure cyberspace without close cooperation with the private sector. Private businesses own and control vital parts of cyberspace, from critical infrastructure to software. Additionally, private actors hold essential information on the functions, threats and solutions concerning the Internet. This does not only include the private sector, but also non-commercial actors. Collaboration between public and private sectors is therefore both logical and important.

A so called "multistakeholder" approack is often mentioned as a solution to this issue in internasjonal forums. It means that the representatives from governments, private sector og non-commercial actors are delegates in international forums and decicion processes. However, few attempts at this have been successful. Both private and public sector might be sceptical to share sensitive information, the international forums might lack impact, it might be difficult to find the right actors in different initiatives, etc. This complexity makes it difficult to forge an international approach.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with NUPI an Gjøvik University College mean to enlighten these problem statements throughout this seminar where the key actors are invited. Among the questions that are sought to be answered you will find:

What kind of experiences do we have internationally concerning pros and cons of public-private cooperation on cyber security? Are these transferable in an international context?
What types of models for public-private collaboration on cyber security exist, and which ones might be useful in practice?
Is the "multistakeholder" approach unrealistic in practice? What are the limitations and the posibilities? Which other approaches might be possible?
Who are the Norwegian key parties that are needed to make an international collaboration successful?
Is it possible to differentiate between the different types of private actors and international forums?

Speakers:

Sofie Nystrøm, Editor, Centre for Cyber- and Information Security (CCIS)
Stewart Kowalski, Professor, Gjøvik University College
Hans Christian Pretorius, Deputy Director, Operational Department, The Norwegian National Security Authority