UN Security Council

Topic: B

Cyberterrorism

UNSC Topic B

Submitted by: Australia School: Cleveland Heights High School

Cyberterrorism is an issue that has plagued every nation, and Australia is no exception. The average cost of an attack is close to $2 million dollars, and even that cannot ensure that no further attacks are committed. As a result of this, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has added a branch to deal with hacking and related crimes. The detrimental affects of large scale attacks on Commonwealth Bank, the Australian Stock Exchange, and other companies have instilled a fear of cyber attacks and the potential of cyberterrorism in the Australian people. However, in the changing world, superior technology and improved communications via the internet have become of upmost importance, and Australia realizes this. It is our desire to work towards a solution that will weaken the abilities of cyberterrorists and strengthen international communication and camaraderie.

As previously stated, Australia has added a branch of to their security agency to specifically deal with cyber attacks. Australia has also worked with other western countries in Cyber Storm III, which was combined resources and power to test the strength of the United State’s online infrastructure from outside attacks. This example of cooperation between nations to strengthen the security of the internet should serve as a jumping off point for resolutions regarding the subject. Any legislation regarding cyberterrorism should acknowledge the need for tougher software, improved technology for providing internet and detecting threats as well as international cooperation.

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ChadCyberterrorism, which is the use of Internet based attacks in terrorist activities,

including acts of deliberate, large-scale disruption of computer networks, especially of

personal computers attached to the Internet, by the means of tools such as computer

viruses. Lithuania, which had a series of very serious cyber attack in 2008, feels very

strongly about the passage of a stricter international law regarding cyberterrorism.

Lithuania does have a stringent national policy regarding cyberterrorism. In 2006, the

Government of the Republic of Lithuania approved the National Strategy on State

Institutions Information Systems Electronic Information Security until 2008. One of

its goals is to establish an effective system for combating criminal acts in cyberspace.

In addition, the Government has approved the National Programme against Terrorism

for the period 2008-2016. The aforesaid inter-institutional programme focuses on the

prevention of and protection against terrorism. One of the Programme’s objectives is

to enhance the fight against the use of the Internet and cyberspace to commit acts of a

terrorist nature. Because of these laws, the misuse of cyberspace for terrorist purposes

is criminalized. According to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania (which

defines criminal liability for particular criminal acts it provides for) in some cases the

use of cyberspace may be regarded as a means to achieve criminal goals. This

principle is applied also in respect of criminal acts of a terrorist nature.

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Due to the rapidity at which the Internet is expanding, it can easily be a new

platform for terrorism in the 21st century. Because of this, Lithuania urges the UNSC

to see cyberterrorism as as grave of an issue as any other form of terrorism.

UNSC Topic B

Submitted by: The Republic of ChileThe age of data and the Internet has brought the access of worlds of information to just a click away. But this ease of

access to data, lack of regulation, and ability to be anonymous has allowed individuals and groups to use the Internet

to spread messages of terror. Most anyone in the world has the means of being a cyber terrorist. It doesn’t take an

army to spread fear and terror anymore. Previous councils such as the Cyber crime convention in 2001, Council of

Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, and a meeting of the Organization of American States have tried

to address the issue at hand. No matter how many laws and resolutions pass in a singular county, cooperation between

countries when conducting investigations regarding cyber crime is a necessity. Without this agreement no domestic

policy can’t stop or fight cyber crimes.

Chile has taken much action to prevent and halt domestic cyber crime. In 1999 law N°19.223 set the legal framework

in which cyber terrorism can be fought. In 2000 the Chilean Procedural law was passed which has allowed the

government to intercept any electronic or physical correspondence. Furthermore, the ISP is required to register the IP

address for 6 months for the virtual communications of their client's. This information can be used in investigations

by the PPO, which is a specially trained division of police meant to fight economic crime and organized crime. In

2004 Chile developed a digital strategy when the minister of Interior created a public system of prevention and

reaction. This has created an effective plan of action in fighting cyber terrorism. However, recently the Chilean

government's main website was hacked because of a trade agreement to build a hydroelectric dam in the Patagonian

wilderness. These attacks are also aimed to protest the government's use of surveillance on social media websites.

Chile has signed onto the Budapest convention treaty in order to reform cyber crime laws in Latin America. With the

assistance of the UN more sectional conventions such as this can be held around the world to help modernize cyber

crime/terrorism laws. If successfully performed, and with the cooperation of many nations, cyber terrorists will

become easier to track down and stopped.    

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WORK CITED

"Council of Europe." Cybercrime. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.coe.int/t/DGHL/cooperation/economiccrime/cybercrime/default_en.asp>.

Rosenblunts, Veronica. "The Fight Against Cyber Crime in Chile." COE. COE. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/economiccrime/cybercrime/Documents/Reports-Presentations/2079 if09 pres

Chile Veronica.pdf>.

Gross, Grant. "UN: More International Cooperation Needed to Fight Cyberterrorism." Computerworld. 24 Sept. 2012.

Web. 18 Feb. 2015. <http://www.computerworld.com/article/2492864/cybercrime-hacking/un--more-international-

cooperation-needed-to-fight-cyberterrorism.html>.

UNSC Topic B

Submitted by: France

The Internet is now part of our culture more than ever. Everyday, more than two billion people use the Internet. With increased Internet use comes increased misuse. Cyberterrorism is a growing issue. As technology becomes more advanced, more advanced ways to penetrate it are conceived. Unlike terrorism, which requires delicate planning and a highly risky strategy, cyberterrorism can be put into place by simply hitting a key on a keyboard.

Unlike regular terrorism, cyberterrorism is much harder to combat. Cyberterrorism offers extra security, making those who implement it more anonymous and harder to tracker than ever. How do we stop it? We just have to be prepared.

France currently implements state-orchestrated drills to make sure that information is secure. By preventing ourselves, who know the system better than the hacker, we are able to strengthen our protection so no outsiders are able to interfere. State-orchestrated drills are useful and easy, and should be implemented in order to expand knowledge on keeping intruders out. Foreign linguists and cyber talents should be recruited to aid in protection of information. The stronger the people working for us, the stronger our defense will be.

Technology is now a battlefield. And a battlefield requires the military. The military should be the main force behind protecting information. The military is able to assist with drills and with creating new systems of protecting information.

Ultimately, it is most important that we improve upon our current data systems. Without improving, the opponents’ strategies are becoming far more advanced. If we are able to stay ahead, the threat will not be as great. All countries must work together to advance in technology to oppose and stop this threat.

Cyber terrorism is just as much a threat as any other form of terrorism. And it should be treated as it. We must work together to solve this issue. We must bring in the military to combat it. We must drill ourselves and invade ourselves to make our systems better. We must do whatever it takes to protect our information.

“Cyber warfare, unchecked, could topple entire edifice of international security” –Kamapradipta Isnoma.

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Bibliography

http://www.telecomstechnews.com/news/2014/oct/10/france-prepares-cyber-warfare-whilst-us-accuses-putin-jp-morgan-attack/

http://flashcritic.com/french-intelligence-bolsters-cyber-war-capabilities/

http://www.contentsecurity.com.au/blog/france-offense-cyber-warfare/

http://www.zdnet.com/article/cyberdefence-to-become-cyber-attack-as-france-gets-ready-to-go-on-the-offensive/

Netherlands Annual Review of Military Studies 2012

Cyber Warfare: Critical Perspectives

Paul Ducheine, Frans Osinga, Joseph Soeters (eds.)

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Submitted by: Jordan The new centre is being established under the supervision of the Jordanian Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.

"The centre will play a big role in confronting cybercrime that could target the financial sector such as banks in light of an increasing number of Internet users in the kingdom," said Minister of Information and Communications Technology Azzam Sleit.

Speaking at a workshop to assess preparedness for establishing Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) centres, Sleit said the new centre would reinforce the existing cybercrime law and help to introduce new laws.

The workshop was organised by the Arab regional office of the International Telecommunications Union in collaboration with the ministry and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.

"We hope to raise awareness on information security through building reliable communication centres for reporting cybercrimes and assisting response teams in cybercrime incidents across different sectors," Sleit said.

The centre is important due to "the authorities' need to prevent this type of crime", said Lt. Col. Sahm al-Jamal, director of the cybercrime unit of the Public Security Directorate's criminal investigations department.

"Our department dealt with around 1,300 cybercrimes during 2013," he told Al-Shorfa.

According to al-Jamal, 75% of cybercrime victims are women, and crimes include fraud and extortion, with large amounts of money being transferred to fraudulent bank accounts abroad.

"Building this centre is necessary for the protection of important information pertaining to the country's security, such as the central bank or records of the Department of Civil Status [and Passports]," said Jawad Abbassi, head of Jordan's Information and Communications Technology Association.

Abbassi warned of the increasing threat of cyber terrorism in the modern age.

"The centre will be highly developed and equipped to confront any kind of terrorism that targets national security," he said.

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LuxembourgAs one of the eleven original members of Nato, Luxembourg believes

cyber terrorism to be a stern threat and regards it with the utmost seriousness.

Cyber terrorism is an attack commenced through the exploitation of digital

communication networks. It’s motive is to generate fear or intimidate a society

into an ideological goal. Throughout the last century and even recently,

Luxembourg has had various encounters with cyber terrorism. Most commonly

through the form of mainframe hacking. In 2014, Luxembourg’s largest producer

of steel, ArcelorMittal was hacked of it’s executive overseeing in China. With

assistance from Grand-Ducal, Luxembourg’s police judiciare, the hacker’s were

shut down promptly and serious implications were prevented. In addition,

Luxembourg displayed it’s interest in cyber security by hosting 40 countries in the

2014 Hack.Lu, one of Europe’s largest conferences on Information Security.

    With regards to all parts of the spectrum, domestic and international, Nato and

Luxembourg endow huge efforts to stop cyber terrorism. For starters,

Luxembourg recommends all members to integrate to synonymous cyber

defense structures in order to maintain collective defense. Secondly,

Luxembourg proposes prevention by creating vigorous defense assets and

continually upgrading technology to keep up with the instantaneous threat.

Finally, Luxembourg and Nato propose censorship and mutual assistance in

order to neutralize the agent once it has occurred. In conclusion, prevention and

mutual assistance is required to properly handle cyber terrorism.

Works Cited

http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/cyberterrorism-distinct-from-cybercrime/

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/76706.htm

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http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_112964.htm

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-11-04/coke-hacked-and-doesn-t-tell

http://www.circl.lu/pub/press/20141126/

http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_08/20110819_110819-policy-

cyberdefence.pdf

UNSC Topic B

Submitted by: Nigeria                                                                                           

Cyberterrorism

Nigeria is firmly committed to stopping cyber-terrorism, and fully aware of the consequences of

‘hackers’ operating from within Nigeria. Nigeria, however, lacks the infrastructure to combat

this threat and, as such, would only support resolutions that promise multilateral action with

United Nations support, to resolve this issue. Cyberterrorism is defined as the politically

motivated use of computers and information technology to cause severe disruption or widespread

fear in society. A hacker is defined as person who uses computers to gain unauthorized access to

data.

There are an estimated 40 million computers in Nigeria, and each one of them is

vulnerable for use in, or as a victim of cyberwarfare. In the past, even government websites have

been taken down through the efforts of hackers (including the National Information Technology

Development Agency or Nitda, the country’s headquarters for IT projects). What is more

worrysome is the fact that there is no agency that is tasked with co-ordinating the response to

cyber-attacks, or offering preventative advice on them (there are various smaller agencies

responsible for specific areas vulnerable to cyber-crime). Nigeria has also become a base for

international criminals running advance fee scams that have targeted Americans as well as

people across the world.

In the past, Nigeria has adopted resolutions, whether through the Commonwealth, the

United Nations or other organizations, that contain provisions relevant to the combating of

cyber-crime. These resolutions include:

• Treaty on Cooperation among States Members of the Commonwealth of Independent

States in Combating Terrorism (1999)

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• Economic Community of West African States directive on fighting cybercrime (2009).

President Goodluck Jonathan has recently - February 15 - unveiled three new documents

aimed at combatting cyber-terrorism, including its part in the war against Boko Haram. These

documents provide guidelines for the agencies involved in fighting terrorists and cyber-terrorists

alike.

Bibliography

Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations. "The Use Of The Internet For Terrorist

Purposes." (n.d.): n. pag. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. United Nations, 2012.

Web. 18 Feb. 2015. <unodc.org>.

"Nigeria: Jonathan Unveils Documents to Tackle Terrorism, Cyber

Crimes."AllAfrica.com. N.p., 05 Feb. 2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.

<http://allafrica.com/stories/201502060087.html>

"Cyber Terrorism Hits Nigeria." The Newafricanpress. N.p., 25 Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Feb.

2015. <http://newafricanpress.com/2010/09/25/cyber-terrorism-hits-nigeria/>.

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Submitted by: The Republic of Korea School: Archers

Over the last few years, cyberterrorism has cost billions globally. The encompassing reach of the

“cloud” has allowed terrorists and hackers to target people and places around the globe, leaving things

such as checking accounts, hospitals, energy plants, and even nuclear facilities vulnerable. The Republic

of Korea has acknowledged this issue and tried various approaches on how to resolve this pressing

problem. After looking into solutions similar to “The Great Firewall of China’ as well as the current policy

of many of the worlds leading nations, The Republic of Korea has realized the great catastrophic ability’s

of this issue, as well as the great benefits it supplies to states with smaller militants. If any country were

to hack into a nuclear facility, it could be blown up and would be extremely detrimental to all

surrounding areas, or a nuclear missile could theoretically be launched and directed to an appointed

destination from all the way across the globe. Because of the possible destruction cyberterrorism can

cause The Republic of Korea has taken action and installed a net into their internet that tracks suspicious

action, and helps to prevent attack. Although this system has not proven one hundred percent accurate

it has caused the rate of attack to decrease substantially.

The Republic of Korea, after looking at all reasonable solutions, has decided that the best plan of

action is to pool technological expertise and create a globally available tracking program that follows

suspicious activity. As The Republic of Korea has had many small victories in countering cyberterrorism

over the past five years, we will make our current program available to all in favor of this solution. As

this issue is purely virtual in most cases, it is very difficult to make an immediate impact on

cyberterrorists, therefore the best possible chance of success in bringing down these groups is finding

then, only made possible with the full cooperation of countries across the world. This would allow the

actions of suspected or proven cyberterrorists to be tracked to their point of origin, and then the

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country of residence would be able to swiftly and effectively bring these cyberterrorists to justice as they

saw fit.

With all things considered, The Republic of Korea believes whole heartedly that this plan would

be beneficial, not only for The Republic of Korea but for all states involved. Consequently improving and

re-enforcing the security of all sovereign nations. The Republic of Korea is happy and willing to work

with other countries in eliminating this threat, and is open to suggestions. As this is such an important

issue The Republic of Korea will endorse any viable options for the ultimate end to cyberterrorism, in all

non-governmental forms. The Republic of Korea knows that the only way to truly defeat cyberterrorism

is for the members of The United Nations to band together and take action against this impending

disaster.

Work Cited

1. China Says It’s Against Cyberterrorism; Stays Mum On North Korea, Helping U.S. By Nancy Tartaglione December 22, 20143 :53am http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/editorials/north-koreas-cyberterrorism/story-e6frg71x-1227164652766

2. North Korea’s cyberterrorism The Australian December 23, 2014 12:00AM http://www.unafei.or.jp/english/pdf/RS_No79/No79_08VE_Jang1.pdf

3.South Korea Divided on Response to North’s Cyber Attack. Brian Padden

December 22, 2014 9:39 AM http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/22/ussonycybersecurityidUSKBN0K006U20141222

4. THE CURRENT SITUATION AND COUNTERMEASURES TO

CYBERCRIME AND CYBER-TERROR IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA Junsik Jang http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/230869.htm

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Russian FederationAs the use of the Internet continues to rapidly grow across the world, it only

becomes more susceptible as an outlet for misconduct, crime, and even terrorism. Any terrorist group can learn how to use such simple tools as a High Orbit Ion Cannon (HOIC) and in turn be responsible for shutting down entire governments with a series of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks1. These kinds of attacks are incredibly simple to carry out and very difficult to prevent due to the fact that they seem like legitimate requests on the technological end of the spectrum.

The Council of Europe, in the Convention on Cybercrime, states that it is “Convinced of the need to pursue, as a matter of priority, a common criminal policy aimed at the protection of society against cybercrime, inter alia, by adopting appropriate legislation and fostering international co-operation,” and that it “[Takes] into account the existing Council of Europe conventions on co-operation in the penal field, as well as similar treaties which exist between Council of Europe member States and other States, and stressing that the present Convention is intended to supplement those conventions in order to make criminal investigations and proceedings concerning criminal offences related to computer systems and data more effective and to enable the collection of evidence in electronic form of a criminal offence.2”

The Council of Europe comprises 47 member States including all 27 members of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) as well as Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, and Ukraine3. These member nations are currently working together to resolve the issue of cyberterrorism in our world. “The Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable

1 Smurftroll. "High Orbit Ion Cannon." SourceForge. SourceForge, 26 May 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.2 Council of Europe. "Council of Europe - ETS No. 185 - Convention on Cybercrime." Council of Europe Conventions. Council of Europe, 23 Nov. 2001. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.3 Vatis, Michael A. "Council of Europe: Convention on Establishment." International Legal Materials 4.4 (1965): 719-27. Brown University. Steptoe & Johnson LLP, 2010. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.

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to Cyber Warfare” is a document whose purpose is to prove that the existing norms of international law (primarily international humanitarian law) are applicable to cyberspace4; however, the Russian Federation believes that new laws must be made due to the outdated nature of the document and the ever-changing nature and unpredictability of cyberspace5.

Near the end of 2014, Russia began planning to review a law on critical information infrastructure that would enable the country to build a comprehensive defense system against cyber-attacks6. The board chairman of the Governmental Military-Industrial Commission, Igor Sheremet, is a co-author of the bill and was interviewed by RBTH to further delineate certain aspects of the bill. When asked about why so many cyber-attacks come from countries like China (and in turn, Russia), Sheremet gave the following response:

Botnets are used to hide the IP addresses of the true cyber criminals. Botnets are special program modules (bots) secretly installed by the hacker on personal computers connected to the Internet. They serve to readdress in order to hide the IP address of the true message source. The creation and sale of botnets is one of the most widespread criminal Internet services. Using a botnet, a hacker in Thailand can attack an Internet resource located, for example, in Brazil. And it can do that through “jumps,” passing through computers physically located in Japan, Finland, Italy, Qatar, Indonesia or other countries. The lengths taken to make the chain anonymous can reach several dozens of bots. Then the law of large numbers comes into play. Because China is the largest country in the world by population it has more Internet users than any other country. The same goes for bots installed by hackers from various countries on Chinese computers. That’s why externally it looks like cyber-attacks are made from China on the rest of the world.

It is the firm disposition of the Russian Federation, therefore, to create laws necessary and proper that are aimed at not only further defining and criminalizing cyberterrorism and its corresponding actions, but also finding and creating more

4 CCDCOE. "Tallinn Manual Process." NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence, 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.5 Pototsky, Dan. "US, Russia, China Meet to Tackle Cyberterrorism | Russia Beyond The Headlines." US, Russia, China Meet to Tackle Cyberterrorism | Russia Beyond The Headlines. Russia Beyond the Headlines, 7 June 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.6 Ptichkin, Sergei. "Russia Building a Unified System to Defend against Cyber Attacks." Russia Beyond The Headlines, 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.

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advanced and capable security systems and defense mechanisms to curtail these attacks7. It is incredibly important to act now and ensure that the Internet can be an internationally diplomatic and accessible resource that will make the world not only safer but more connected by a global network infrastructure.

Ukraine

The FBI defines terrorism as, "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in

furtherance of political or social objectives." Cyber Terrorism is defined as "the premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data which result in violence against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine

agents.” In March of 2014, a cyber attack on Ukraine from inside the Russian-controlled Crimea region hit the mobile phones of its members of parliament. The Russians seized control of airfields and key installations in the Crimea region. As a result, some telephone and internet services were severed. The internet being down caused billions of dollars in lose of transactions.These were all warning signs that an attack was underway on Ukraine in a Russian attempt to take over all control. Ukraine was in the midst of the ‘Ukrainian Revolution’ in February 2014. The formation of a new interim government, the restoration of the previous constitution, and the call to hold impromptu presidential elections within months left it very susceptible to the Russians. The areas are poorly monitored by the government, the economy, and the halt of normal global communication networks. These factors all contribute to the susceptibility of an area also.

Obtaining undoubted advantages in the use of information systems built on the basis of global computer networks, Ukraine gradually becomes more dependent on their proper functioning. This fact pushes the elaboration of new approaches to protect the interests of a 7 Council of Europe. "Cyberterrorism - The Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes." Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER) (2007): n. pag. Oct. 2007. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.

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personality, society and state. The Concept (Bases of the State Policy) of the National Security of Ukraine determines possible threats to national security and interests of Ukraine; computer crime and cyber terrorism are among them. NATO has certainly stood behind Ukraine throughout its rough journey. They have provided the support to strengthen Ukraine's defense capability, including the creation of new trust funds to improve the country's cyber defense system. Ukraine has a clear, ideal vision for rebuilding its defense and security sector and a clear strategy for resolving the crisis.

Seeing as though the situation in Ukraine can happen anywhere, most countries are more than willing to to help out in any way they can. The US European Command (EUCOM) recently hosted a Ukrainian military delegation in a first-ever US-Ukrainian cyber conference in Germany. During the two-day conference, US cyber experts worked with Ukrainian authorities to develop Ukraine's military communications and cyber strategy by training and equipping military forces to reduce risks to missions. The current cyber and communications challenges facing the military were discussed, providing functional assessments and recommending solutions. Meanwhile, due to the ongoing conflict with Russian militants in eastern Ukraine and the number of cyber-attacks, authorities in Kiev are working on a law of cyber security strategy. The law determines the power distribution of all law enforcement agencies and their order of interaction in case of cyber-attacks. The goal is to enhance the protection of critical infrastructure because in reality at any time and any place, every country in the world is susceptible to cyber terrorism. What makes the difference is how prepared they make themselves.

Works Cited

Koyfman, Tanya. “Ukraine versus Russia in a Cyber-Duel.” SenseCy. N.p., 3 Mar. 2014.

Web. 17 Feb. 2015. <http://blog.sensecy.com/2014/03/03/ukraine-versus-russia-in-a-cyber-

duel/>.

Statko, Alex. “Ukraine Strengthening Its Cyber Security.” Focus On Ukraine. SE Times,

15 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.

<http://ukraine.setimes.com/en_GB/articles/uwi/features/2014/09/15/feature-01>.

“Ukraine Suspects Russia as Source of Cyber Attack on MPs.” Channel 4 News. Channel

4 News Network, 5 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. <http://www.channel4.com/news/russia-

ukraine-cyber-attacks-crimea-mps-phones-internet>.

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Submitted by: United States of America

With the rapid advancement of technology, cyber terrorism has become an increasingly

prevalent issue. NATO defines cyber-terrorism as "a cyber attack using or exploiting computer

or communication networks to cause sufficient destruction to generate fear or intimidate a

society into an ideological goal." Cyber terrorists are extremely difficult to pursue due to the

nature of the attack. Massive cyber attacks such as the 2008 cyberattack on the United States can

easily cause massive amounts of damage. The United Nations recognizes the severe threat cyber

terrorism poses and has already passed many resolutions regarding the topic. For example,

resolution 1373 created the Counter-Terrorism Committee to implement measures to enhance

abilities of member states to counter terrorist activities.

Combating cyber terrorism has always been a major focus for the United States. Obama

remarked in 2009 that "America's economic prosperity, national security, and our individual

liberties depend on our commitment to securing cyberspace and maintaining an open,

interoperable, secure, and reliable internet" ("Remarks by the President on Securing Our Nation's

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Cyber Infrastructure"). The US's cyber terrorism policy includes protecting the country's critical

infrastructure, improving the ability to identity and report cyber incidents, and engaging with

international partners to promote internet freedom. ("Foreign Policy Cybersecurity"). In 2009,

Obama expanded the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI). Its goals are to

strengthen the future cybersecurity environment ("Foreign Policy the Comprehensive National

Cybersecurity Initiative").

The U.S has many federal divisions dedicated to bolstering the country's cyber security.

The Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C), created in 2006 under the DHS,

"responsible for enhancing the security, resilience, and reliability of the Nation's cyber and

communications infrastructure" (Office of Cybersecurity and Communications) and is comprised

of five divisions. The Department of Defense (DOD) also adopted five strategic initiatives for

the U.S. in cyberspace in 2011, which includes employing new defense operating concepts to

protect DOD networks and systems ("Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future").

President Obama has issued two primary Executive Orders regarding cyber security.

Executive Order 13636, issued in 2013, laid out a plan that was designed to improve

cybersecurity of U.S critical infrastructure (CI). Critical infrastructure "means systems and

assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the U.S that the incapacity or destruction of such

systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security..."("Executive Order - Improving

Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity"). EO 13636 encourages cooperation between the private

sector and the government. It also tasked the National Institute for Standards and Technology

(NIST) to create a voluntary "Framework" that would set standards of security and procedure

that would allow CI to better respond to and defend against cyber attacks. On February 13, 2015,

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Obama signed an EO which built upon the foundation established by EO 13636. It focused

primarily upon the sharing of information between the government and private industry.

The USA recognizes that many countries don't have the capabilities to constantly defend

against the ever-evolving forms of cyber terrorism. Therefore, the U.S believes that an

international framework for cyber security much like the one outlined in EO 13636 would be of

much use. Additionally, the U.S plans to continue cooperating internationally to develop new

technologies to stymie the effect cyber terrorists have on the world.

Works Cited

Obama, Barack. "Remarks by the President on Securing Our Natoin's Cyber Infrastructure." The

White House. 29 May 2009. Speech.

"Foreign Policy Cybersecurity." The White House. whitehouse.gov, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/cybersecurity>.

"Foreign Policy the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative." The White House.

whitehouse.gov, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-

policy/cybersecurity/national-initiative>.

"Office of Cybersecurity and Communications." Department of Homeland Security. N.p., 12

Feb. 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://www.dhs.gov/office-cybersecurity-and-

communications>.

"Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future." Department of Homeland Security. N.p., 24 Mar. 2014.

Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://www.dhs.gov/blueprint-secure-cyber-future>.

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"Foreign Policy Cybersecurity - Executive Order 13636." The White House. whitehouse.gov, n.d.

Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/cybersecurity/eo-

13636>.

Exec. Order No. 13636, 3 C.F.R. (2013). Print.

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