ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC KHOA HỌC XÃ HỘI VÀ NHÂN VĂN
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TIỂU LUẬN
Đề bài: CHALLENGES FOR CYBER DEFENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF
COMMON SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY
Giảng viên: Đoàn Thu Hương
Tên sinh viên: Nguyễn Thị Điệp
Mã sinh viên: 21031631
Mã học phần: ITS3072
Hà Nội, 2024
1. Cybersecurity in the EU Common Security and Defence Policy
a. The formation of Cybersecurity policy
Cybersecurity is an oft-used term today, and many seem familiar with its
meaning. However, it is unclear where the responsibility for policy-making on
cybersecurity and cyberdefence actually lies. While national security is sometimes
accountable, the cyber domain does not confine itself to operating within
traditional national borders, limiting the impact of legislation at national levels.
With the cyberattacks that infiltrated many private and public networks
across the world in May 2017, including the national healthcare system in the
United Kingdom, it became clearer than ever that international cooperation against
cyberthreats is the best solution. The 2007 cyberattack on the Estonian public and
private infrastructure established new dimensions in the use of IT assets and
networks. The event triggered a series of discussions, decisions, agreements and
actions, both at the EU and international levels, on the use of IT. In February
2013, the European Union published its cybersecurity strategy, to protect the EU’s
core values in the digital, as well as the physical, world. The EU also laid out five
strategic priorities to address cyberthreats, including the development of a
cyberdefence policy and capabilities relating to the Common Security and Defence
Policy (CSDP).
b. The purpose of the Cyber security Policy
The Policy improves capability in cyber defense, develops more advanced
cyber defense technologies, such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, and so on,
so as to relatively improves the capabilities of detection, prevention, and response
against cyber threats.
In international cooperation, the policy developes common standards and
best practices, with international partners; encourage cooperation to combat
cybercrime.
2. The focal Points of Cyber Defence in the CSDP
The CSDP developed gradually between 1999 and 2003 and was expanded by
the Lisbon Treaty, which came into force in 2009. CSDP is one of the most important
instruments of military and civilian measures to maintain the peace of the EU
Member States. The EU is currently conducting six military operations and eleven
civil missions. The CSDP is an essential framework for developing EU cyber defence
policy and capabilities.10
Following the aggressive increase of cyberattacks with devastating economic
damages and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU has adopted a new action plan to
enhance its ability to prevent, detect, deter, and defend. It is built around four pillars:
Pillar 1: Act together for a stronger EU cyber defence
The EU wants to improve coordination within national cyber actors, strengthen
cooperation between military and civilian cyber communities, and support the CSDP
military operations and civilian missions. Therefore, it is essential to establish an
EUCDCC (EU Cyber Defence Coordination Centre), including all EU military CSDP
commanders.11
Pillar 2: Secure the EU defence ecosystem
This includes the development of legally binding recommendations for the EU on
cyber defence, the elaboration of critical infrastructure risk scenarios for the military, and
measures to improve cooperation in developing standards and certifications for dual-use
products.12
Pillar 3: Investing in our cyber defence capabilities
Developing a technology roadmap for critical cyber technologies, investing in
modern military cyber defence capabilities, and establishing an EU Cyber Skills
Academy are critical issues for this pillar.13
Pillar 4: Partnering to address common challenges
The focus of this pillar is strengthening the EU-NATO cooperation in cyber
defence training, strengthening existing partnerships, and establishing new partnerships
in the field of cyber defence
3. The Cyber Threats for CSDP
Cyberattacks consist of criminal acts committed online using electronic
communication networks and information systems. Cyberattacks are attempts to misuse
information by stealing, destroying, or disclosing it. Cybercrimes are frequently
conducted today and the main goal shifted from harming single targets in financial
aspects to attacking industrial organisations, critical infrastructure, or state alliances.
According to the latest ENISA studies, the operational technology will
increasingly become a high-value target for threat actors. It must be mentioned that those
actors' current intent is not disruption. Instead, their main goal is targeting systems to
gather information. The purpose of this is that exploiting those systems gives them
multiple targets they can take advantage of.
On the other hand, as seen in the Russian-Ukraine war, cyberattacks are constantly
joined with military operations. For instance, the infamous wiper attacks can shut down
the network between governmental agencies and critical infrastructure. The aim of such
attacks is to pave the way for disinformation operations to unsettle the people´s trust in
the government.
However, not only during the Russian-Ukraine such attacks took place, but also
towards the government of Mozambique, which attack shut down their websites.
Cyberattacks in the form of politically-themed phishing emails and decoy
documents harmed Palestinian activists.
In Libya, the check point research discovered that high-value targets were attacked
with cyber espionage through malware. Also, phishing domains were disguised as
websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These are just a few examples of countries
where an ongoing CSDP mission or operation takes place.
4. The Enhancement of Cyber Defence
Under the CSDP, building cyber defence capabilities necessitates an all-encompassing
strategy. It contains the creation of strategies, competencies, frameworks for the law,
awareness, and collaboration between the public and private sectors. The CSDP also
needs to foster a sense of mutual respect and acceptance that cybersecurity is a shared
responsibility.
International collaboration and synergies are required to boost reciprocal capacity
building in order to accomplish this. Additionally, the development of cyber defensive
capabilities requires the purchase of new technologies, standards, strategies, and training.
The members of the CSDP ought to encourage the sharing of knowledge and resources in
order to improve their capacity for collaboration with other private actors. The CSDP is
to be strengthened by enhancing knowledge, production, awareness, and other cyber
defence capabilities through technology and collaboration.
The CSDP can be better prepared to achieve its goals, deal with any obstacles, and
strengthen its ability to defend itself against cyberattacks by taking a comprehensive
approach to capacity building. Most of the EU Member States either have or are creating
national cybersecurity strategies. However, these techniques' goals and the development
of cybersecurity vary from nation to nation. Determining if these measures are in line
with the CSDP's goals and coordinating efforts to improve the EU's cyber defence
capabilities are therefore crucial.
A thorough CSS (Cyber Security Strategy) can offer strategic guidelines to lower
cyber defence risks. The EU can adopt a more coordinated and comprehensive strategy to
enhance its cyber defence capabilities by integrating state cyber security agendas within
the frame of the CSDP.23 The enhancement of cyber security measures is the key to
successful civil missions or military operations in CSDP. It is necessary to set up a secure
information and communication central agency in order to keep track of all the data
traffic because of all the sensitive information that is circling through the operational
area.
REFERENCES
1. Zsolt G. Pataki, Victoria M. Joseph (2017), “Cybersecurity in the EU Common
Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)”, European Parliamentary Research Service,
https://epthinktank.eu/2017/05/31/cybersecurity-in-the-eu-common-security-and-
defence-policy-csdp/, [21/10/2024]
2. Panagiotis Trimintzios, Georgios Chatzichristos, Silvia Portesi, Prokopios
Drogkaris, Lauri Palkmets, Dimitra Liveri and Andrea Dufkova (2017),
“Cybersecurity in the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP):
Challenges and risks for the EU”, European Parliamentary Research Service,
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/603175/EPRS_STU(
2017)603175_EN.pdf [22/10/2024]
3. Julius Olusegun Oyelami, Azleena Mohd Kassim (2019), “Cyber Security Defence
Policies: A Proposed Guidelines for Organisations Cyber Security Practices”,
International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 11,
No. 8, 2020
4. “Eu Cyber Defence Policy Framework” (2014), Council of the European Union,
https://ccdcoe.org/uploads/2018/11/EU-141118-EUCyberDefencePolicyFrame-
2.pdf [24/10/2024]
