Workshop on the Cybersecurity Chapter of the German National Security Strategy

End of June 2022 the ICS team conducted a workshop in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office on cyber security within the framework of the dialogue processes on the German National Security Strategy.

The hybrid event centred on four thematic blocks, each introduced by short keynote speeches followed by discussions, and was held under Chatham House rule. The first session addressed security trends and constellations within cyberspace, including crime and sabotage activities, although the recent war on Ukraine and questions of a “Zeitenwende” – a turn of the times – predominated.

This led to the next topic centring on goals and instruments, and whether we need a paradigm shift given the pressures traditional state security architecture have been put under. Given these changes, priorities, capabilities, and best practices need to be re-examined.

After lunch, non-state actors took centre stage to explore how partnerships with civil society and businesses can be harnessed. While some forms of cooperation have been missed or failed in the past, an improved interrelationship is essential for German cybersecurity policy. The last session shifted from a German to a regional and global perspective, as cyber(in)security does not stop at borders. Ways to strengthen European responses to cumulative cyberattacks were discussed, as were how to manage or further rules and norms despite geopolitical upheaval.