The need for collaborative global cyber diplomacy is growing

Amid a rising global cyberthreat level, cyber diplomacy has become an increasingly important element of the United States’ cybersecurity posture. In the face of interconnected networks, supply chains and data, “going it alone” is not a viable option. And as we become more reliant on technology and as malicious cyber activity increases, the United States and its allies are facing major threats to critical infrastructure.

Strengthening global cyber collaboration is needed now more than ever. In fact, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma touted the benefits of digital solidarity with other countries at the International Counter Ransomware Initiative Summit on October 1.

From sharing the tactics and digital footprints of known ransomware actors to sending Justice Department lawyers to train and support prosecutors in other countries, Verma made it clear that meaningful alliances and collaboration — not just between countries but also between the public and private sector — will be a key component of defending against these global threats.

Beyond that, the Office of National Cyber Director’s 2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States validates the need for the U.S. to use international diplomacy to counter cyber threats.

“When the United States coordinates with allies and partners, takedowns and other disruption activities are more effective, impose more severe consequences on adversaries, and provide more impactful support to victims,” the report says.

Advancing free and open cyber policy

The United States’ approach to cyber policy focuses on promoting a reliable, secure and trusted digital backbone based on collaboration between the public and private sectors and international partnership, but this approach isn’t shared across the board. This issue is highlighted in the 2022 National Security Strategy, which explores the competition between an approach based on a multi-stakeholder vision of open and secure information technology and connectivity versus one where they are instruments of control and influence for authoritarian and aggressive governments.

That same year, the State Department established a Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to sharpen the Department’s focus on cyberspace and digital policies. According to a recent GAO report, CDP uses the National Cyber Strategy to direct the development and implementation of U.S. cyber diplomacy. The CDP has a broader impact within the federal government, managing 11 formal interagency agreements totaling over $100 million in funding at partners ranging from the Departments of Commerce, Interior Defense and Homeland Security to the Federal Communications Commission.

In tandem with creation of the CDP, the State Department created the position of ambassador-at-large for cyberspace and digital policy. Like his predecessors, this official serves as the principal policy advisor on cyber issues within the department, but as an ambassador he also has the rank needed to meet with senior leaders internationally and to lead the U.S. delegation in major negotiations.

Embracing global collaboration to produce actionable results

We're seeing a growing focus on cyber collaboration across like-minded states and private sector partners around the world. Sharing threat information on malicious cyber actors and coordinating activities to counter cyber criminals builds stronger relationships between allied nations and the cybersecurity industry and with other key stakeholders such as telecommunications and cloud service providers. When these organizations collaborate, the impact on threat actors is usually greater than when each acts in isolation, and forging these institutional partnerships also builds the human networking and trust that enable faster response when a time-sensitive cyber crisis occurs.

Valuable collaboration can also take more strategic forms. The State Department and the Government of Denmark partnered on the Copenhagen Pledge on Tech for Democracy, created to advance digital freedom and combat the suppression of free speech. The recent World Economic Forum Annual Meeting on Cybersecurity brought together leaders from business, government and international organizations to discuss key strategies for increasing cyber resilience in the face of economic challenges, geopolitical tension and the potentially disruptive impact of emerging technologies such as AI. At a more operational level, the WEF’s Partnership against Cybercrime sponsors the Cybercrime Atlas, an initiative dedicated to building a shared knowledge base on cybercrime that can be used by government and industry to disrupt criminal activity.

Doubling down on a unified approach

Strengthening cybersecurity for government networks, critical infrastructure and end users should be a team effort. The federal government should use the expertise and commitment of other stakeholders, since cybersecurity and the innovation it enables are a shared value.

The United States can spearhead these efforts globally. Setting global cyber norms of acceptable behavior is crucial, as is ensuring that we have technology standards that are built though open, transparent, rules-based processes that reflect the equities of multiple stakeholders in government and the private sector. As the United States continues to build its own cyber resilience, we should recognize that cybersecurity is a goal that many share, and that we are stronger working together on this vital mission.

Jim Richberg is the head of Cyber Policy and Global Field CISO at Fortinet and a Fortinet Federal Board Member.