A state of security

International conference on government and the internet

The internet is changing the world. Having started as a research tool sponsored by the military, it has become a civil technology transforming every aspect of our lives. It is also forcing a radical redefinition of state security.

Without adequate responses to the threats posed by technological innovation, nation-states will be increasingly unable to defend themselves against cyber-terrorism, electronic attacks and espionage. From the United Nations downward, internet security represents a serious concern for organizations and governments across the globe, given the potential for mass chaos should the world's security be undermined.

On Saturday 19 May, 2001 the Cambridge Review Of International Affairs hosted a ground-breaking forum that examined these issues with some of the world's leading experts in technology, e-business, and Internet security. Amongst the speakers were representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Cabinet Office, NATO, the European Commission and the International Red Cross.

Mr Knut Doermann of the International Red Cross discussed his organisation's policy on how the Geneva Convention should be applied to cyber warfare. He argued that the Convention's rules against weapons with indiscriminate effects are applicable to computer viruses. One of the first examples of such activity came during the Kosovo conflict two years ago, when the websites of NATO and its constituent states came under attack, allegedly by civilians in Serbia. A speaker from the Ministry of Defence discussed the difficulty of counteracting such attacks when it was almost impossible to identify their source.

The event ended with a controversial contribution from Dr Brian Gladman, the retired Deputy Director of the Technical Centre of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. He argued passionately against state interference in the internet in the shape of laws banning or limiting encryption technology. His suggestion that such legislation was harmful to the development of knowedge-based economies and violated the fundamental right to personal privacy was debated vigorously.

The event attracted over 150 delegates from across the world. Michael Waters, the Conference Director, is now looking to the future: "The conference proceedings will be published as a journal and next year we will hold a follow-up conference," he said.

Cambridge Review of International Affairs
The CRIA is a non-profit organisation that publishes a leading academic journal and hosts an annual conference in association with the Centre of International Studies at the University of Cambridge. Its aim is to foster discussion regarding developing theoretical and practical issues in international relations. Through cutting-edge academic research, policy analysis and commentary, CRIA offers innovative perspectives to current debates.