Publications

In September 2017, the European Union (EU) updated its 2013 Cyber Security Strategy. The new version is intended to improve the protection of Europe’s critical infrastructure and boost the EU’s digital self-assertiveness toward other regions of the world. To prevent conflicts from spiraling out of control in cyberspace, the EU agreed on a so-called Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox in October 2017, which sets out possible countermeasures in case of an external cyberattack and raises the costs for perpetrators. The framework encompasses the summoning of diplomats, further political, economic, and penal sanctions, as well as digital responses. However, the fundamental problem of attribution applies even to diplomatic responses. And since the use of the Toolbox is not only voluntary but also requires the unanimous support of all EU member states, there are multiple hurdles to a mount an effective defensive deterrence.