The realm of cybersecurity and cyber foreign relations is still a relatively new domain and one that is often poorly understood by many policymakers. It is usually treated as a highly specialised area of policy, despite the huge role it already plays in most aspects of everyday life.

Cybersecurity also has a large impact on world affairs. Recalling a choice term from an earlier era of combative international relations, it is no exaggeration to say that détente in cyberspace is vital to stability and safety.

And while the core détente pairing back then was between the US and Russia, with Europe playing a constructive intermediary role at the time, today’s “détente” pairing is between the US and China.

As the US government reports credibly, China is engaged in an unceasing and highly successful cyber espionage campaign against the US. Yet to manage the threat from China, there has to be effective diplomacy. To get to that point, we need to answer two rather intriguing questions: Could poor cyber relations with China also be the fault of the Americans? Or maybe both sides are fuelling each other’s dangerous behaviour?

bbabo.Net