Responsible State behaviour in Cyberspace – explainer videos

/in ,

In 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations unanimously agreed to a framework for responsible behaviour of States in cyberspace.

This framework includes a set of 11 norms, rules and principles.

In collaboration with some of our partners, ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre produced two animated video clips that describe and explain the full framework and the of 11 specific norms.

Video 1

Video 2

ICPC is currently implementing a multi-year capacity-building project to support member states of the ASEAN with the implementation of these 11 UN norms. As the project progresses, additional resources will be made available for stakeholder consultations and input.

From 2-4 December, ICPC participated in the inaugural intersessional meeting of the UN Open-ended Working Group on ICTs in the context of International Security. ICPC’s submission can be found here and on the web site hosted by the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs. 

The video clips are currently available with subtitles in English and Bahasa Indonesia. Additional languages will become available throughout 2020.

For more information on this project and the videos, please contact Bart Hogeveen.

John Garnaut joins ASPI as a Senior Fellow

/in

ASPI is delighted to announce that John Garnaut has joined the International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) as a Senior Fellow.

John Garnaut is an authority on Chinese elite politics and Chinese Communist Party interference and technology transfer programs. John was previously Fairfax’s China’s correspondent (2007-13) and Asia-Pacific Editor (2014-15), Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (Nov 2015 – Sept 2016), and Principal Advisor (International) at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet where he led the Governments analysis and policy response to authoritarian interference (Oct 2016 – Jun 2017).

He is the founder of Garnaut Global where he provides strategic advice to Australian and allied government agencies and international hedge funds. He is also a senior consultant with McGrathNicol Advisory, where he leads enhanced due diligence services and advises universities and corporations on managing compliance with foreign interference legislation. He is a member of the Futures Council of the ANU National Security College and also a member of the Advisory Board for a project on Russian and Chinese disinformation at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

ICPC Director Fergus Hanson said ‘We’re delighted to have John join the team. John has been an architect of how Australia should frame its relationship with Beijing, and is one of the foremost experts in this field.’

Joint BBC-ASPI investigation into West Papua information operations

/in ,

A joint investigation between the BBC and ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre analysed a well-funded and co-ordinated information campaign aimed at distorting the truth about events in Indonesia’s West Papua province, and has identified those responsible for its operation.

The researchers found that the campaign used slanted or factually untrue content (including “news” articles, infographics and videos) to promote narratives supportive of the Indonesian government’s actions in West Papua, and to undermine the pro-independence movement.

In a context like this in which independent media is restricted and verified information is scarce, a disinformation campaign such as the one the researchers uncovered has the potential to have a substantial impact on how the situation is perceived by the international community. This in turn could have implications for policies and decisions made by other governments, and in international forums such as the UN.

Building off earlier research published on Bellingcat, the researchers used open source data and digital forensics to analyse the campaign’s operations across multiple platforms and identify Jakarta-based communications consultancy InsightID as the source of the operation. 

This attribution was then confirmed by Facebook, and later acknowledged by the organisation itself.

A second, smaller campaign was also uncovered. Researchers tracked this campaign back to an individual with political connections. On being approached by the BBC, the individual eventually admitted his role in the campaign but insisted that they had been undertaken in his personal capacity and were not connected to his political work.

The investigation was led by BBC’s open source investigator Benjamin Strick and ASPI International Cyber Policy Centre researcher Elise Thomas and included:

A detailed report outlining the full investigation published on Bellingcat

Coverage of the investigation on the BBC in English and in Indonesian

Asia’s Great Huawei Debate – A special on The Diplomat

/in ,

Experts on Singapore, South Korea, India, Japan, and Australia weigh in on the Chinese telecom firm’s reception. Experts Pauline Reich, June Park, Aman Thakker, Motohiro Tsuchiya, and Danielle Cave explain how the Huawei debate has unfolded domestically in each of those countries, and what conclusions (if any) were reached.

Read a version of this article ‘Australia and the great Huawei debate: risks, transparency and trust on The Strategist here.

Access the Diplomat special Asia’s Great Huawei Debate here;

AISA Partnership with the International Cyber Policy Centre

/in ,

t

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Australian Information Security Association (AISA).

As a not-for-profit, AISA champions the development of a robust information security sector by building the capacity of professionals and advancing the cyber security and safety of the public, businesses, and government in Australia.

“We are delighted to have AISA join as a partner,” said the Head of the International Cyber Policy Centre, Fergus Hanson. “AISA has a prominent voice in the information security space in Australia, and we look forward to an enduring partnership.”

AISA chairman Damien Manuel said ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre provided the focus needed to highlight the growing importance and impact of cyber-related issues and the need for sustained dialogue.

“The partnership strengthens the relationship between government, businesses and the community,” Mr Manuel said.

In October, AISA will join forces with the Australian Cyber Security Centre in Melbourne to launch the inaugural Australian Cyber Conference. The International Cyber Policy Centre will be an active participant in the Australian Cyber Conference.

Foreign Territory: Women in International Relations

/in ,

Danielle Cave was a lead author in a three-year study by the Lowy Institute for International Policy ‘Foreign territory: Women in international relations’ that revealed severe gender imbalances in Australia’s international relations sector – including Australia’s diplomatic, national security and intelligence community, despite the existence of some prominent trailblazers.

“Australia’s international relations sector — the departments and organisations that are responsible for conducting Australia’s international relations — has a severe gender imbalance in its workforce. While there have been notable trailblazers, the pace of change has been slow and uneven across the sector. Few of the most important diplomatic postings have ever been held by a woman. Women do not appear in the sector’s key policy-shaping activities. Significantly fewer women are rising to senior positions in the sector compared with the Australian public sector as a whole, international peers, and the corporate sector. The gender imbalance in the Australian Intelligence Community is particularly pronounced. It is important for the sector to address this imbalance. A more diverse workforce will not only better reflect Australian society, but make full use of the available talent pool. There is substantial evidence from the private sector that gender-balanced workforces are more effective, efficient, and innovative. Until the sector better represents Australian society it fails to use the best available talent to navigate Australia’s place in an increasingly complex world.

The analysis, which was based on a lengthy and complicated process of collecting data from a 20-year period, took place from 2016–2018 and found three stark divides:

  1. A vertical divide: men and women in the international relations sector experience different pathways to seniority, particularly in the intelligence community
  2. A horizontal divide: women are more common in the ‘people’, corporate or ‘softer’ policy side of the house. We were repeatedly told in interviews that senior women are less likely to be running high-profile policy, operational or intelligence-focused branches and divisions
  3. A sharp ‘international’ divide between the sexes. Spending time overseas is an integral part of the career path for many in the international sector, but there is a disconnect between the gender balances in government agencies in Canberra and in their overseas workforces.

Read media coverage of the report in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review, The Guardian and on ABC The World.

On China Podcast. Dr Malcolm Davis

/in ,

For China’s military, space is a critical domain that enables complex operations, and the denial of it to adversaries during conflict is a high priority. Join Malcolm Davis and me in looking at China’s military space strategy.

Admiral Michael S. Rogers to Join ASPI’s Cyber Centre as Distinguished Visiting Fellow

/in ,

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre is pleased to announce that Admiral Michael S. Rogers (retired) will join us as the Centre’s next Distinguished Visiting Fellow.

Admiral Rogers retired from the U.S. Navy in 2018 after nearly 37 years of naval service rising to the rank of four-star admiral. He culminated his career with a four-year tour as Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency. In those roles he worked with the leadership of the U.S. government, the DoD and the U.S. Intelligence community as well as their international counterparts in the conduct of cyber and intelligence activity across the globe. He also assisted in the development of national and international policy with respect to cyber, intelligence and technology – including extensive work with corporate leadership in the Finance, IT, Telecommunications and Technology sectors.

ASPI’s Executive Director Peter Jennings said “I am delighted to welcome Admiral Rogers to Australia. As the international system enters a turbulent period, it is a great opportunity to hear from one of the world’s foremost intelligence officials”.

During his broader service in uniform, Admiral Rogers held positions afloat and ashore around the globe focusing on cyber, intelligence, maritime operations and national security. His joint service was extensive including duty with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Indo Pacific Command and U.S. Atlantic Command. In addition, Admiral Rogers commanded at the unit, Numbered Fleet and service component levels in the Navy.

Admiral Rogers is currently supporting companies in the private sector, serving as a member of various Boards or acting as a Senior Advisor. He also speaks globally to various business and academic groups and is working internationally in the cyber and national security arenas. He is a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Managements’ Public Private Initiative and a member of the advisory board of Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure. Admiral Rogers is a member of the AALD US advisory board. 

Admiral Rogers will be sharing his experience and insight as keynote speaker at ASPI’s National Security Dinner on 7 May. He will be resident at the Cyber Centre from 29 April to 15 May 2019.

Microsoft partners with the ASPI-ICPC

/in ,

The International Cyber Policy Centre is proud to announce a partnership with Microsoft.

“There’s a worrying tendency to talk about Cyberspace in the abstract. But it is not a nebulous space. Cyberspace consists of concrete elements in the real world, such as datacentres, undersea cables, laptops and mobile devices. These are designed and manufactured by private companies and that is why the private sector needs to be at the table in any debate on cyber policy.

If anyone had any doubts that Australia and its institutions were a target – the Prime Minister rising to inform the House of Representatives that a cyber attack targeting Parliament House was carried out by a sophisticated state actor and that same actor had targeted major political parties – should have put those doubts to rest.

We live in an interconnected world. Digital technologies have brought incredible benefits and opportunities. Australia’s great tyranny of distance is no longer an excuse nor an insurmountable challenge to economic and social integration with the rest of the world.

The February attack demonstrated graphically how this global interconnectedness has brought new challenges. The technologies that enable economic and social connections are the same platforms that malicious actors use to target Australian organisations and citizens.

To be effective, cyber policy engagement must be multilateral and multi-stakeholder. This is the reason Microsoft was such a strong supporter of last years’ Paris Call – the first of a new type of international cyber agreement involving governments, companies, researchers, think tanks and not-for-profits. Bodies who facilitate and create trusted environments for these often-difficult and nuanced, but critical conversations, are so important. Since its inception in 2011, ASPI’s ICPC has played a critical role in advancing debate and multilateral engagement on cyber issues not just in Australia, but across the Asia Pacific region and ultimately into international fora.

And that is why Microsoft has become a sponsor of the ICPC and why we look forward to working with the ICPC and its partners to further the debate on trust, ethics, privacy and security in our use of technology”.

– Tom Daemen, General Counsel, Head of Corporate External Legal Affairs, Microsoft Australia-New Zealand

The challenges and opportunities facing the Australian defence sector

/in ,

Dr Malcolm Davis recently spoke with on the Defence Connect Podcast at the Avalon International Airshow on the topic of the challenges facing the Australian defence landscape. 

Listen to the audio here.