IGF 2020 WS #120 How can cybercrime enforcement help achieve cyber stability?

Subtheme

Organizer 1: Joyce Hakmeh, Chatham House
Organizer 2: Naylor Esther , Chatham House
Organizer 3: Allison Peters, Third Way
Organizer 4: Garcia Michael, Third Way

Speaker 1: Neil Walsh, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 2: Basu Arindrajit , Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Joyce Hakmeh, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Allison Peters, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Moderator

Joyce Hakmeh, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Online Moderator

Naylor Esther , Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Rapporteur

Garcia Michael, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Format

Round Table - Circle - 90 Min

Policy Question(s)

Topics: Norms, Cybercrime, Cyberattacks, Capacity Development, Confidence-building measures, What is the role of cybercrime enforcement in implementing cybersecurity norms?

The session will explore the following issues: - Linkages between cybercrime enforcement and cyber stability and norms - Existing global mechanisms to dealing with cybercrime: achievements and limitations - The development of a new treaty on cybercrime: risks and connection to cyber stability - What does success look like in reducing cybercrime and drawing more connection between debates on cybercrime and cyber stability? How can it be materialized?

SDGs

GOAL 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Description:

This session will explore the links between the global debates on cybercrime and cyber stability arguing that law enforcement and diplomatic approaches to combating cybercrime are inherently tied to enforcing established norms for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The session will identify concrete measures that key players can take to bridge the gap between the two and help achieve cyber stability. Cyberspace is constantly under threat from both criminal and nation-state actors putting at risk its potential as an engine for social and economic growth for all countries and people around the world. However, when it comes to dealing with cyberthreats, the debate is often fragmented between threats from state actors and those from non-state actors, and the connection between debates on cybercrime and cyber stability is often missing. This is creating an additional challenge to many countries who are relatively new to these debates, may lack the needed expertise but yet are being asked to contribute substantially to the ongoing negotiations on these issues at the UN General Assembly and come up with policy responses in their own countries. Bringing cybercriminals to justice, regardless if they are state-backed, is an important component of enforcing norms. Yet, there remains an artificial segregation in many international forums about these two issues where holding perpetrators of cybercrime is rarely discussed as a means for achieving cyber stability. Exploring the linkages between two very connected areas is intrinsic to contributing to a stable cyberspace. This 90 minute panel discussion will kick-off with two presentations exploring the linkages between the two policy areas and highlighting existing global progress on fighting cybercrime and potential scenarios for a way forward.

Expected Outcomes

In addition to having a rapporteur that will help to synthesize the discussion as required, we will author a write-up of key takeaways from the roundtable to be disseminated on organizers' social media channels and look for a possible media outlet to also publish a piece connecting the two global debates. These outcomes will be particularly timely as the UN is about to launch a likely several years negotiations process on a new global cybercrime treaty later this year.

The roundtable discussion will consist of a 45 minute moderated conversation between the speakers and the chair followed by an open discussion with the audience to comment and interact with the speakers on the points they have made but also bring forward other points of interest. The chair has the prerogative to ask questions of their own and decide on how best to manage the questions and answers session, in terms of grouping several questions together or addressing them separately. The moderator will also have a list of questions for the audience to encourage broader participation. The organizers will also use Zoom to live-stream the event in order to encourage remote participation and maximize the reach of the roundtable to a larger audience. The online moderator will take note of the questions submitted via Zoom, will synthesize them in real time and share them with the onsite moderator.

Relevance to Internet Governance: One of the key aims of Internet governance is for countries to shape the development and use of the Internet collectively, while making sure that underlying principles such as Internet freedom, openness, interoperability, security, and resiliency are respected and maintained. Cybercrime, whether sponsored by state actors or perpetrated by non-state actors, threatens every one of these principles. Norms for the responsible behaviour of states in cyberspace are only as good as their enforcement and holding perpetrators of cybercrime accountable for violating those norms is a key component in ensuring this enforcement and protecting these principles. The focus of the workshop on cybersecurity norms and fighting cybercrime are at the heart of the efforts needed to achieve these principles and to shape the evolution and use of the Internet.

Relevance to Theme: Cybercrime remains a persistent and borderless threat that continues to grow in size and scope, which public opinion has found is directly impacting their trust in the security, stability, and resilience of the Internet infrastructure, systems and devices, and their overall ability to remain safe and secure. The widespread use of technology and the growing rates of internet connectivity around the globe, coupled with the continued development of new technologies that allow for anonymity on the Internet, have made cybercrime a low-risk, high-yield venture for perpetrators who face little to no consequences for their actions. Unfortunately, law enforcement has struggled to keep up with the continued increase in cybercrime, impacting not only people’s trust in the security and stability of the Internet and new technology but also on their trust in their government institutions that are supposed to keep them safe from these threats and get them justice . This session will explore how cybercrime has threatened this trust, why the enforcement of cybercrime will help to strengthen trust in not only people’s safety and security when relying on the Internet but also trust in the institutions supposed to protect them, and how bringing to justice perpetrators of cybercrime is key to the enforcement of cyber norms and to achieving cyber stability and trust in cyberspace more generally.

Online Participation

 

Usage of IGF Official Tool. Additional Tools proposed: The organizers are also planning to use Zoom to live-stream the event in order to encourage remote participation and maximize the reach of the roundtable to a larger audience. The online moderator will take note of the questions submitted via Zoom, will synthesize them in real time and share them with the onsite moderator.