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Cyber warfare & disinformation play key role in Russia Ukraine conflict
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses the Ukraine conflict from the cybersecurity perspective:
These are dark and bitter times. We've just seen Russia starting a completely unjustifiable war with disproportionate force against Ukraine and these acts of aggression that we see, threats on the foundations of a rules based order and of our own freedoms in democracies worldwide. Yes, to all this aggression, there is also a cyber dimension.
Cyber warfare is clearly a major part of the Russia Ukraine conflict, but cyber weapons are notoriously hard to control.
What is the risk that hackers at war in Eastern Europe could wind up, intentionally or not, wreaking havoc in the West or beyond?
Now in terms of the deployment of tools to attack digital infrastructure and systems, going with what we have seen so far, attacks on Ukraine have already wreaked havoc on the West. Whether it was the NotPetya attack or attempts to manipulate the US presidential election, old KGB tactics are an integral tool in Putin's toolbox. So we shouldn't think of cyberwar as something separate or detached from the broader conflict confrontation, escalation and geopolitical agenda. And there is also this disinformation element woven through all aspects of the confrontation coming from Russia. Not to forget that in Europe today, as well as in the United States, Vladimir Putin has allies in political office. So sometimes I wonder with friends like these, who needs enemies?
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How tech was used to harm democracy on January 6
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
What is the tech legacy of the first anniversary of the January 6th storming of the Capitol?
Now, one is that it is so clear that there is no such thing as an online world that's separated from our offline lives. We see democracy being harmed in new ways and speech fueling actions in the streets. And this is not just a speech issue, but data harvesting and micro-targeting are giving those hate speech calls wings online.
Secondly, is that there is still so much we don't know. We learn new things every week, such as this week when Brookings researchers showed how podcasts were used to fan the flames of fraud claims and violence, and the Washington Post and ProPublica this week published their analysis of 650,000 Facebook posts, that was about 10,000 a week, leading up to the storming of the Capitol and their valuable work comes a year after the failed coup attempt, reminding us of the opacity of the workings of tech companies. Facebook itself has actually refused to turn over the documents that the congressional investigative committee has asked for.
Now, while the dots are still being connected on January 6th and the events that unfolded, we already see plenty of new threats, plots, and lies to hurt democratic rights being devised. Now I hope today and this week, everyone pauses and reflects, remembering that there are no winners when democracy itself is lost.
Can political leadership prevent cyberattacks in 2022?
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
What are the positive changes in 2022 that we might expect to see in the cyber world?
Well, my hope is that more awareness of the harms of cyberattacks and intrusions on people will lead to stronger political leadership towards better prevention and accountability. Because too often criminals or states that attack others for their own gains simply get away with it. Only when we appreciate that the digital realm is not a universe detached from our own lives, and that attacks lead to patients sent away at hospitals, to food not reaching grocery stores, or fuel not being available at gas stations, we see more political concern over the systemic weakness throughout the technological system and ecosystem. We use both in everyday, mundane context or in very sensitive ones.
Biggest cybersecurity threat to watch in 2022
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
What do you foresee to be the biggest cyber threat and crisis for the year 2022?
Well, to me, the blind trust in commercially made software and technologies, remains an enormous systems risk, because over and over again, we hear of vulnerabilities in thus far, unknown small elements of widely used software that is weaponized.
From Citrix to SolarWinds or Log4j. Now schools, critical infrastructure, hospitals, and governments, the smarter they became with the integration of more and more software, the more vulnerable to attacks they turn out to be, and to overcome the conflicting incentives between companies that may not be too eager to report incidents or share information, versus the need to strengthen protection, security, and resilience in the public interest. Laws, information sharing standards, and corporate liability regimes will have to be adjusted, updated and adopted.
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EU's proposed DSA and DMA laws would broadly regulate digital economy
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
What are the DSA and the DMA?
Well, the twin legislative initiatives of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act are the European Union's answer to the challenges of content moderation online and that of the significant role of major market players, also known as gatekeepers in the digital markets. And the intention is to foster both more competition and responsible behavior by tech companies. So the new rules would apply broadly to search engines, social media platforms, but also retail platforms and app stores.
Are these laws on the books yet?
Well, not quite yet. And I think this is where there might be some confusion. The news this week was that the rapid agreement among the ministers of member states was significant, and the European Commission had already presented its position. So now the three-way negotiations with them and the European parliament are next before the laws can be finalized and then have to be implemented across the EU. But the rapid adoption by ministers does show that updating laws for the digital economy is a key priority for European leaders.
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Facebook metaverse launch leads other Big Tech firms to focus on AR/VR
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
What is Facebook planning with the metaverse?
Well, my sense is that Facebook mostly prefers a virtual reality over the actual situation the company is in, with overwhelming criticism about the many harms to people it is causing all over the world. The metaverse at launch would be added to a number of services and experiences online in a more virtual and augmented reality setting. Think about what the gaming sector has done, but now, also, other big tech firms are jumping on the bandwagon. The thing to remember is that the user experience would be more immersive.
What have responses been to the metaverse, which Mark Zuckerberg announced?
Well, as one might expect, the responses were mixed. Some compared it to the hyped and eventually failed Second Life experience, but others, like Microsoft, announced their own more soft version with the option to use an avatar to participate in Teams video calls. Now, if you are like me, I have had more than enough of those during the pandemic, but let's see what happens to this gamification of the online experience. Certainly, some investors are sniffing opportunities, so they are probably playing up the potential of virtual and augmented realities. I'm personally most excited about seeing people in real life again, so checking out and going offline.
Russian hackers target US tech companies with little accountability
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
Has Russian behavior in cyber changed after President Biden and President Putin's meeting earlier this year?
Well, unfortunately, we see ongoing assertiveness and aggression from the Russian side, targeting the US government, but also US tech companies. And the fact that there is so little accountability probably keeps motivating. Shortly before the Russian elections, Apple and Google removed an app built by opposition parties, to help voters identify the best candidate to challenge Putin's party. The company cited pressure on their employees in Russia, but of course, the pressure on the Russian population is constant. And after these dramatic events, the silence from Western governments was deafening.
What about US companies being targeted by attackers from Russia?
Well, it is a very inconvenient truth that the very companies whose software we all rely on is not secure enough to withstand these attacks. And again, the lack of accountability of attackers is a problem. Intelligence gathering currently does not violate international law and is rarely met with sanctions, even if the consequences of breaching systems, can be significant throughout an ecosystem. There is a legal vacuum and a political vacuum, in clarity around what is and is not acceptable. So, a combination of state accountability, and corporate liability standards are needed, to change the status quo.
Do cryptocurrencies undermine US sanctions?
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
Do cryptocurrencies make it harder to enforce foreign policy sanctions?
Well, that is exactly what the Biden administration worries about. As part of growing concerns of whether unregulated currencies undermine a whole host of policies, sanctions and foreign or trade policy should be a priority area. And just like others who wish to evade tracing of their wealth or transactions, the very states or their sanctioned entities should be assumed to resort to all options to evade restrictions while continuing to do business. So having cryptocurrencies undermining the ability to enforce strategic goals logically raises eyebrows in Washington.
Didn't the Biden administration recently sanction a cryptocurrency exchange itself?
Yes, it did. But the sanctions against SUEX were intended to prevent the company or platform from being the clearing house for criminal money. My sense is that there will be plenty more legal updates, regulations and ad hoc steps to ensure that cryptocurrencies do not undermine the ability to make policy, whether it's monetary or foreign policy.
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