14 DAY TRIAL // Cybersecurity and ransomware were high on the list of important policy issues at both the G-7 conference this weekend and the NATO summit that ended on June 14, according to Meritalk.
When the two heads of state meet on June 16, President Biden has promised to address Russian President Vladimir Putin cybersecurity and ransomware threats.
NATO member States stated in a joint declaration that “cyber threats to the security of the Alliance are complex, destructive, coercive, and becoming ever more frequent".
“This has been recently illustrated by ransomware incidents and other malicious cyber activity targeting our critical infrastructure and democratic institutions, which might have systemic effects and cause significant harm,” the NATO members added.
As a result, NATO member states announced the adoption of a Comprehensive Cyber Defence Policy to promote deterrence, defense, and resilience.
“Reaffirming NATO’s defensive mandate, the Alliance is determined to employ the full range of capabilities at all times to actively deter, defend against, and counter the full spectrum of cyber threats, including those conducted as part of hybrid campaigns, in accordance with international law,” the statement said.
The military alliance said it wanted to reiterate that the decision on when a cyberattack leads to invocation of Article 5 is made on a case-by-case basis by North Atlantic Council. The Allies recognize that the cumulative effects of major hostile cyber actions may, in certain circumstances, qualify as an armed attack.
Statements by the G-7 on Cybersecurity and Ransomware
Meanwhile, the June 11-13 meeting of the G-7 issued a communique in which the nations pledged to work together to promote a mutual understanding of how existing international law applies to cyberspace and to urgently address the escalating common threat posed by criminal ransomware networks.
The nations said that “We call on all states to urgently identify and disrupt ransomware criminal networks operating from within their borders, and hold those networks accountable for their actions".
The G-7 nations declared that they will promote secure, robust, competitive, transparent, sustainable and diverse supply chains for digital, telecommunications, and ICT infrastructure. This pledge is motivated by recognition of the fundamental role that telecommunications infrastructure, including 5G and future communications technologies, plays and will play in underpinning our larger digital and ICT infrastructure.