Contact us T +32 (0)2 626 07 20 | info@europeangreens.eu

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Flickr

Donate

  • Login to your account
  • User account
  • About Us
    • Organisation
    • People
    • Networks and Working Groups
    • Guidelines
  • Our Positions
    • Positions
    • Resolutions
    • Policy Papers
    • Manifesto
  • Get involved
    • Climate Action
    • European Green Recovery Campaign
    • European Greens Podcast
    • European Ideas Lab
    • The Green Screen
    • Local Councillors' Network
    • Trans-Inclusive Feminist Campaign
  • Member Parties
  • News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Brand Assets
    • Communications Team
  • Events
Home
  • About Us
  • Our Positions
  • Get involved
  • Member Parties
  • News
  • Events

Offensive cyber warfare must be banned

Share
Share on FacebookShare on Twittershare on Linked Inshare on Google Plusshare via email

EGP Resolution adopted at the 35th EGP Council, Riga, Latvia, 3 - 5 June 2022


Offensive cyber warfare must be banned

 

Cyber warfare has become an integral part of many military doctrines as control of the digital battlefield is currently a strategic priority for most militaries. However, there are numerous examples of major military powers abusing cyber weapons in a way that has the potential to cause uncontrolled harm to civilian populations.

In 2015, Russian intelligence and military forces and their adjacent actors undertook large cyber operations in Ukraine as part of their ongoing hybrid warfare activities. These actions resulted in more than 200,000 Ukrainian consumers losing their access to the power grid for up to six hours. In 2009, the USA and Israel released the Stuxnet worm in Iran and neighbouring countries with the aim of disabling the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. While searching for the plant, the worm infected hundreds of thousands of computers, causing malfunctions. Most large nations have active cyber warfare units and programs, such as Israel’s Unit 8200, China’s Unit 61398 and North Korea’s ‘Lazarus Group’, USA’s NSA or have used the Pegasus software, some of which have attacked companies and civilians using ransomware and other malware. Targets have included large internet infrastructure providers, such as Akamai and Juniper, and financial institutions such as the Bangladesh Bank.

These are examples of a culture of neglecting collateral damage to civilian infrastructure while to reach military targets, although the attacks in Ukraine directly targeted civilian infrastructure.

A key identifying characteristic of weapons of mass destruction is their proclivity to affect both military and civilian targets equally, with very little or no ability to target or limit their effects. Suddenly disabling the power grid has major effects on vulnerable civilian populations, although the real risk comes with attacking traffic and industrial control systems directly. It is well documented that even the industrial control systems in hydroelectric power plants have been directly exposed to the internet, as well as traffic control and telecommunications systems.

Similar arguments were used to ban chemical and biological weapons in 1997 and 1975, respectively. These international agreements have been used successfully to remove biological and chemical weapon stockpiles from several countries.

It follows that an international treaty to ban offensive cyber warfare is an appropriate measure to deal with this threat before it results in civilian casualties. Although discussions to extend existing humanitarian law to cyber warfare are currently ongoing, these instruments are much less effective than widely ratified international agreements.

Such agreements must facilitate solving the attribution problem in cyber warfare: it is very hard to identify the identity or even the country of origin of an attacker. Arms-length adjacent actors can be used to cover nation-state involvement while, on the other hand, there are proven cases where nation-states or non-government actors have tried to masquerade as other nation states. Therefore, it is important that these international instruments create ways for governments to share information and provide mutual assistance to attribute emerging cyber threats.

Problems of attribution notwithstanding, there are actions that should not be limited or restricted. Non-violent forms of hacking by non-government actors in the interest of transparency and against oppressive regimes should not be criminalised.

These agreements should make a clear distinction between defensive and offensive cyber actions. In addition to helping attribute cyber threats operating on their own soil, nations must commit to not maintaining attack-oriented cyber warfare units and to providing clear distinctions between signals intelligence, electronic warfare and other similar, military-targeting activities and potentially uncontrollable cyber activities.

There are valid concerns as to whether such agreements would reduce the abilities of participating states to adequately defend themselves against non-parties. Unlike weapons of mass destruction, cyber weapons are relatively cheap and easy to develop and deploy, requiring minimal infrastructure. However, cyber warfare also maintains a continuing uneasy balance between defence and offence since most attacks are based on unknown vulnerabilities in widely used software. Most cyber warfare agencies pursue policies to withhold public disclosure of non-exploited vulnerabilities in order to use them as future cyber weapons. Banning offensive cyber operations would put an end to this balancing act and force public agencies to work for the public good.


The European Green Party:

  • Calls on the EU institutions and the Member States to cooperate to ensure protection of critical infrastructure against cyberattacks and to strengthen overall preparedness and capability to mitigate the effects of such attacks and welcomes the agreement on the NIS 2 directive, strengthening EU-wide cybersecurity and resilience;
  • Calls on the European Commission to introduce initiatives and funding for research and development into the preparedness and resilience of Member States against cyberattacks;
  • Calls on the competent European Agencies and the Member States to cooperate in investigating and prosecuting those responsible for cyberattacks to oblige all actors to report security breaches and to reject hack backs as an instrument for cyber defence;
  • Calls on the European Commission to ensure social media platforms are kept accountable for their role in limiting independent journalists’ freedom of expression;
  • Calls on EU institutions and the Member States to keep large internet service providers accountable for maintaining adequate cyber protection;
  • Calls on EU institutions and NATO to cease the development of mutual offensive cyber capabilities between Member States;
  • Calls on the Greens in all Member States to call for the cessation of offensive cyber activities in their respective countries;
  • Calls on the Member States to promote an international agreement to ban offensive cyber activities, help attribute cyber activities and provide clear distinctions between other military activities and potentially dangerous cyber activities;
  • Calls on the Member States to maintain a balance between defence against cyber/information operations and civil rights;
  • Calls on the European Data Protection Board and the Member States to maintain a high bar to approve new high-risk automated data processing as this poses a particularly high risk of damage to fundamental rights and freedoms.
Related downloads:
AttachmentSize
PDF icon EN82.92 KB

Recent News

Icon:
European Green Party Co-Chairs Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz
Title:

One year since the full-scale illegal invasion of Ukraine

Post date:
24 February 2023
Body:

Today marks one year since the full-scale illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces. Since this day, Putin has continued to violate international laws and agreements as well as the human rights of the people of Ukraine. 

Icon:
Title:

Interview: Sibylle Steffan – the voice of the European Greens Podcast

Post date:
03 February 2023
Body:

The new European Greens Podcast covers the most pressing issues currently discussed in the EU. And while EU policies are not always easy to digest, the European Greens Podcast connects abstract topics with real-life stories of people who are affected by them. We talked with podcast host and EGP Committee member Sibylle Steffan about the new podcast, and what we can expect from the first episodes.

Icon:
Title:

6th European Greens Congress: getting ready for the 2024 European Elections!

Post date:
08 December 2022
Body:

900 Green politicians, ministers, activists and supporters came together in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the biggest gathering of the last 5 years – the 6th European Green Party Congress! In these critical times, Greens in all levels of government sent a strong message: we are a responsible, solid and united political force that can lead us through crises and ensure a more just and sustainable future for all.

More News

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Flickr
Tweet Contents:

🌲 Our forests are threatened by forest fires, clear-cutting & the climate crisis!

🐝 That's why our co-chair @thomaswaitz is dedicated to saving primeval forests across Europe and protecting biodiversity.

#InternationalDayOfForests https://t.co/UVlDIirdjC

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
12 hours ago
Tweet Contents:

RT @thomaswaitz: This study is very concerning. The postponement of Romania's & Bulgaria's membership in #Schengen has dire consequences on…

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
13 hours ago
Tweet Contents:

RT @kimvsparrentak: The European Parliament is joining the courtcase against Hungary's anti-LGBTI law.

This sends a clear message to Orbán…

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
14 hours ago

Sign up to our newsletter

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Fill in the blank.

Take charge of your future. Donate Green.

Chip in today to help us build a Greener Europe!

Donate

  • Organisation
    • About
    • History
    • Councils
    • Congresses
    • Finance Advisory Board
    • Amendments Committee
    • Conciliation Panel
  • People
    • Committee
    • Team
    • Vacancies
    • Traineeships
  • Networks and Working Groups
    • Networks
      • Balkan
      • Mediterranean
      • Gender
      • tilt!
      • Queer
      • Local Councillors
      • Seniors
      • Disability
    • Working Groups
      • Foreign and Security Policy
      • Future of Europe
      • Trade
  • Guidelines
    • Charter
    • Statutes
    • Rulebook
    • Finances
    • Privacy Policy
  • Our Positions
    • Positions
    • Resolutions
    • Policy Papers
    • Manifesto
  • Member Parties
  • News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Brand Assets
    • Communications Team
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • The Green Screen
    • Green Talking Heads
    • Trans-Inclusive Feminist Campaign
    • Climate Action for the People and the Planet
    • European Green Recovery Campaign
  • Donate
Home

Rue du Taciturne 34

B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

T +32 (0) 2 626 07 20

info@europeangreens.eu

© European Greens - With the financial support of the European Parliament. Sole liability remains with the author.

cookies